Turbine: 1 Leonardo, 2 Bell, 3 Airbus, 4 Sikorsky, 5 MD. Piston: 1 Robinson
Leonardo is winner in turbine division for 7th consecutive year. Robinson leads in piston,
placing #1 for 22nd year in a row. MD comes back to rank in turbine category. Results are based on 415 survey forms – a 23% return yielding 506 line evaluations.
Pro Pilot staff report
Compiled by Conklin & de Decker
Turbine
Leonardo is #1 in the turbine helicopter division for the 7th consecutive year. The OEM earned an 8.24 overall score this year down from 8.31 achieved in 2024. It placed 1st in all categories. Best category improvement was made in spares availability, with a 7.62 score compared to 7.45 earned last year.
Leonardo provides technical support through its Product Support Engineering (PSE) department, which is located in Philadelphia PA. The team takes care of the entire helicopter, and through Leonardo Customer Portal enables access to My Publications, Technical Query, Online Store, and News. Also, Leonardo delivers support and training for in-service aircraft through a worldwide network available 24/7. Service is ensured through its 3 fleet operations centers in Italy, United Kingdom, and US, and more than 100 service centers worldwide.
Bell earns 2nd place for the 7th straight year, with an overall score of 7.56, up from 7.47 received in 2024. Bell ranks 2nd in all categories of the survey. Biggest category improvement was in service satisfaction, with a 7.83 score up from 7.46 earned last year.
Bell product support has a worldwide service network dedicated to helicopter owners and operators. Support teams are available 24/7 providing technical information, product sales, and aircraft maintenance. Its customer service engineers and product support engineers are ready to deliver local technical support and advanced in-depth technical assistance, respectively.
Airbus takes the 3rd spot for the 3rd year in a row, with a 7.14 overall score, compared to 6.87 earned last year – a difference of 0.27 and highest overall score improvement in the survey. The OEM earned 3rd in all categories, and best category improvement was in speed in AOG service, with a score of 7.21, up from 6.61 received in 2024.
Airbus HCare offers an array of services providing solutions to operators, from training to flight operations and technical support. It’s available 24/7 worldwide and enables access to the AirbusWorld customer portal. Airbus delivers several levels of technical support, based on the concerns received from the operators.
Sikorsky is #4 this year with an overall score of 6.41, up from 6.18 received in 2024. Most improved category was in cost of parts, with a 5.71 score, up from 4.84. This increase of 0.87 is the biggest in the entire survey. Sikorsky also saw a significant score improvement in spares availability, earning 5.53, compared with 4.82 achieved in 2024.
Sikorsky’s Customer Care Center, based in Trumbull CT, is available 24/7 with support from a team of experts providing solutions for urgent needs, availability, and reliability improvements. The OEM offers a worldwide support network to S-76 and S-92 helicopter operators who are represented by account service managers. Operators can count on a network of 22 authorized service centers, and more than 100 customer service and field service reps.
MD Helicopters makes a return this year, to rank 5th in the turbine division of the survey. Overall score received was 5.82.
MD is readily available with its MRO facility and worldwide authorized service and support centers to take care of operators’ needs, such as refurbishment, cockpit upgrades, inspections, or repairs. MD supplies customers with documents and updated information, including service directives, helicopter specification data, and technical manuals.
Operators also have access to their account information through the MyMD.aero portal. It also allows customers to search MD Parts Marketplace, track scheduled or in-progress maintenance, and view technical bulletins and alerts.
Piston
Robinson wins the #1 spot in the piston category for the 22nd year in a row. The OEM secured an overall score of 7.68 in 2025, compared to 7.87 obtained last year. Most improved category was in tech manuals, with a 9.04 score, up from 8.21 earned last year – an improvement of 0.83.
Based in Torrance CA, Robinson has full control of its helicopter production, from designing, manufacturing, and assembly, to inspection and flight testing at the company’s own facility. This OEM also has available a factory overhaul program for older aircraft. Robinson counts on a global network of 400 service centers and dealers to support more than 13,000 helicopters around the world.
For a full view of the 2025 Helicopter Mfrs Product Support Survey, click here.