Paris - European helicopter manufacturer Eurocopter said Tuesday its consolidated turnover for 2008 rose by 7.5 per cent to 4.5 billion euros (5.85 billion dollars).

The company, a subsidiary of aerospace giant EADS, delivered 588 new helicopters last year, making it the world's number-one manufacturer of civil and parapublic helicopters.

Order bookings for the year totaled 4.9 billion euros, "still showing a strong demand for new helicopter models and services," the company said.

However, the number of helicopters ordered fell from 802 in 2007 to 715.

"We wanted a little more growth, but we were not totally untouched by the financial crisis," Eurocopter head Lutz Bertling said. (dpa)