A Milestone to Celebrate – The World’s Largest Helicopter Lessor Marks its 15th Anniversary

As the world's leading helicopter leasing company, Milestone, now celebrating its 15th anniversary, has much to commemorate. Achieving success in a dynamic industry fueled by innovation and changing market needs is no coincidence. CCO Sebastien Moulin explains that the success of lessors is inherently linked to the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

“Anyone can buy helicopters—that’s the easiest part of the job,” notes Moulin. “However, the hardest part is to be able to put the assets on lease and to earn stable revenue from them. And of course, selling them at the right price—this is where the expertise lies.” To navigate this, a lessor’s strategy demands meticulous aircraft selection, requiring deep insight into market trends and foresight into how rotorcraft will perform across diverse mission sets over the lifespan of the asset.

Lessors must ensure their portfolios align with the enduring demands of the energy sector and the growing needs of mission-critical services such as emergency medical services (EMS), search and rescue (SAR), and aerial firefighting. This careful selection is essential for managing asset risk and ensuring long-term value. Milestone's confidence in Airbus Helicopters' products, which constitute approximately one-third of its fleet, directly reflects this philosophy.

The H160 is expected to capture a larger market share in the medium segment due to its performance. The H175 continues to demonstrate its value in challenging offshore energy operations in regions such as the North Sea, Brazil, and Australia. The versatile H225, with its proven capabilities, is successfully deployed in utility and SAR roles and is making a return to the offshore energy segment for certain long-range missions. This strategic alignment ensures that Milestone's new deliveries directly address specific market needs, reinforcing the supply-demand balance across the industry.

Helicopter leasing provides operators with a strategic and flexible method for managing their fleets. Moulin highlights that this model offers essential financial flexibility. Rather than requiring substantial upfront capital investment, operators can obtain 100% financing for state-of-the-art aircraft. This allows fleets to expand to meet new demands or adapt to changing needs. "The primary advantage we offer is the flexibility to access assets without the need for upfront capital deployment, thereby reducing the financial burden on the lessee, along with the option to return assets at the end of contracts," Moulin explains. This approach facilitates the rapid integration of new, more efficient rotorcraft technologies, ensuring operators maintain a competitive edge.

Milestone emphasises the need for a financially disciplined approach that focuses on sustainable growth, beneficial to the industry. Moulin underscores this shared responsibility for market health: “We feel like that’s the role we have for the whole industry as well. OEMs are producing new aircraft. We want to make sure we don’t fund an oversupply in this market.” Airbus Helicopters, as an OEM, brings essential product development, robust entry into service support and crucial certification processes. Moulin highlights this interdependence: “We cannot achieve anything without the OEM. Their role is to manufacture the finest product possible and navigate the entry into service.” Milestone’s early investment in platforms like the H160 demonstrates confidence in Airbus Helicopters’ innovation. In turn, OEMs provide lessors with long-term product support, upgrades and retrofitting capabilities vital for maintaining asset value and ensuring aircraft remain adaptable. As Moulin affirms, “An asset that is going to be retrofittable and where you can upgrade and improve the asset, this is how to ensure that we can make the return on the aircraft.” This continuous collaboration ensures significant investment yields sustained returns for all stakeholders.