The recently-appointed new leader of Airbus Corporate Helicopters (ACH) said he hopes to continue the division’s stable growth as it prepares to enter its second decade.

“Airbus is the only aerospace manufacturer to have a dedicated fixed- and rotary-wing PBA [private and business aviation] offering,” Nicolas Boltoukhine told media as the company announced his appointment. “ACH has gone from strength to strength. First, a year-on-year growth of 20% on average, with next to 700 aircraft booked, plenty of new customers, and many collaborations worldwide.”

Boltoukhine has replaced Frederic Lemos in the role. Lemos had run ACH — the dedicated private and business aviation brand of Airbus Helicopters — since its establishment in 2017.

A former French Army aviation pilot, Boltoukhine flew the Gazelle as an anti-tank specialist. He also served as an instructor before transitioning to fixed-wing flying in the service.

He entered the commercial world as a pilot for a businessman, then worked as CEO of Oya Vendée Hélicoptères. He joined Airbus Helicopter in 2022 as marketing manager for the H160, and then moved to his current role in September 2026.

ACH aims to provide an exclusive ownership experience, from first enquiry to ownership and in-service support.

Among its offerings are the ACH125, ACH130, ACH135, ACH145, ACH160 and ACH175, with all offering premium aircraft completions and bespoke solutions.

At Verticon in March, ACH launched the ACH140, securing orders from customers in three key regional markets (U.S., Europe and Brazil) for Airbus’s upcoming light twin. First deliveries are expected in 2030.

“The market is reacting pretty well . . . and most of the first [order] slots have been already sold,” said Boltoukhine. “We are already working on the next step from 2030-31 and to prepare the next chapter for the ACH 140.”

North America and Europe have always been strong markets for ACH, with the Middle East and Latin America targeted for future growth.

“We are pushing more on these two [markets], and I’m pretty sure that all our competitors are looking at the same direction that we are looking at,” said Boltoukhine.

Regarding the future for the limited-edition line of Aston Martin H130s, Boltoukhine confirmed that there are three remaining from the 30 aircraft to be produced. He said “some subjects” are in the pipeline for a follow-up, but did not provide further details.