country that suffered severe impacts in the first wave of the pandemic, Leonardo quickly set up a remote work structure for employees. “We learned that smart work was not so bad,” Garavaglia
says of employees working remotely. “We found that people could manage more work when given flexibility, which worked out really well for them and the company. Some members of our team are still smart working. We learned to be more flexible in how we manage ourselves without a loss in productivity.” At Bell, a key lesson that stands out to Lane Evans, Bell’s
More than 40
rotorcraft were on display at HAI
HELI-EXPO 2022 (below). With
Ukrainian Helicopters unable to attend due to the war in their homeland, many well-wishers wrote
notes of support to post in the
company’s empty booth (right).
managing director of North America sales, was embracing the value of digital media. Bell launched a completely digital experience for customers to see the Bell 505, a first for the company. Te three-hour online event allowed customers to learn about the aircraft, ask questions, and get answers in real time. “Tis really showed us how powerful and successful digital
media is at reaching our customers,” Evans says. “Not being able to connect face-to-face with customers pushed us into learning new ways to connect, through videos, virtual meet- ings, and social media. What we also found was customers
were craving that interaction too. Before the pandemic, they may have been too busy with other things. Now, they had the time to have that interaction.” Bell focused on developing relationships with customers,
influencers, media, and photographers that now help boost business today and into the future, Evans says. “It’s a whole new way of interacting, and I think it’s changed business for the better.”
United for Ukraine In addition to the industry recovery and business building, the other undeniable big issue affecting HAI HELI-EXPO 2022 was Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Only 12 days old on the day the show floor opened, the war’s effects were felt throughout the event. HAI member Ukrainian Helicopters had planned to exhibit
in Dallas but ultimately couldn’t attend. Te company’s booth remained in place, however, decorated with a banner of the Ukrainian flag and a display of sunflowers, the national flower. Attendees stopped by and wrote messages of support to the Ukrainian people, posting them to the banner. Te industry displayed a united show of support for sanctions against Russia for the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. All major rotorcraft manufacturers confirmed at the show they had stopped selling parts, engines, components, and aircraft to Russia. Tose companies with employees or businesses in Russia confirmed they had closed up shop in the country and evacuated non-Russian employees. Overall, OEMs with aircraft in Russia reported that the
helicopters, all civilian, represent a very small percentage of their collective fleets. Te exception: Robinson. “Te killer for us is the Russian civilian commercial- and
private-owner market has been slowly growing over the years,” says Kurt Robinson. “It’s under 10% of our business, but it’s still a big hit. “We have aircraft on the line for Russian buyers; we’re
setting those aside,” Robinson adds. “We’re also working out how to arrange the line around ships on deposit that haven’t started being built. With bank accounts frozen, money isn’t coming in either. We won’t build them now until we have a clearer picture of how things will play out.” Leonardo is involved in HeliVert, a joint venture with
Russian Helicopters that serves as a final assembly plant for the AW139 and a maintenance facility for AW109, AW139, and AW189 helicopters in Russia. Te company safely evac- uated all non-Russian employees in the early stages of the Russian troop buildup in Ukraine and has since ceased all interactions with Russian Helicopters, according to Leonardo. Leonardo has also stopped sending parts, aircraft, and support to Russian customers. For Sikorsky, the situation hit home with the company’s
40 ROTOR JUNE 2022
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