Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, has announced the first delivery of a Bell 429 helicopter to a customer in India. The announcement took place at the biennial Aero India air show where the company has the aircraft on display.

The customer, Span Air, is headquartered in New Delhi and is one of the region’s most prominent air charter operators, offering a mix of jets and Bell helicopters. The addition of the new Bell 429 to Span Air’s fleet will allow the operator to offer customers superior speed and range, the ability to land in remote areas, along with an expansive and impeccably-appointed cabin. 

“In every way, the acquisition of the Bell 429 for operations in India makes excellent business sense,” said Capt. Sudhir Malik, COO, Span Air. “The aircraft’s performance capabilities make it ideal for the challenging operating environment presented by India’s weather and geography. The 429 is also equipped with all the latest safety features and offers the legendary reliability of Bell helicopters, something we have already experienced with our other Bell aircraft.” 

The Bell 429, the world’s newest and most advanced light twin-engine helicopter, has been designed, built and certified to the most stringent airworthiness standards. 

“The 429 is a highly adaptable helicopter that was designed for very demanding operators looking to address a wide assortment of mission requirements,” said Larry Roberts, Senior Vice President, Commercial Business, Bell Helicopter. “Customers in India will find the 429 to be intelligently-designed, robust, have ample power margins, very fast and more spacious than any other helicopter in its class. Customers here also have access to the world-renowned Bell Helicopter customer support network.” 

India currently has two Bell Helicopter customer service facilities, Air Works India and Deccan Charters, to support the numerous Bell helicopters operating in the country. 

Prior to arriving at Aero India, Span Air’s 429 helicopter completed a cross-country demonstration tour that gave key prospective customers the opportunity to experience the aircraft first hand. 

In Asia Pacific, the Bell 429 has already found customers in China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Philippines, and New Zealand, in addition to India. Interest in the aircraft has come from private companies, including corporate transportation and utility missions, as well as civil and military government agencies.

Source: Bell press release