BESTFLY Signs Purchase Agreement for First Bell 505 Sale in West Africa

Dallas, TX (March 15, 2022) Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today a signed purchase agreement for a Bell 505 to BESTFLY, an Angolan aviation company, with the intent to purchase a second 505 within six months. This is the first 505 sale in Angola and West Africa. The first aircraft is expected to be delivered October 2022 and the second aircraft expected delivery date is October 2023. The aircraft will be used for corporate transportation around the country.

 “Nuno and Alcinda Pereira embody the very spirit for which the Bell 505 was created, enabling extraordinary people to do extraordinary things,” said Sameer Rehman, managing director, Africa and the Middle East. “Their pioneering efforts in West Africa will be further enhanced with the entry of the first Bell 505 in that region. We are privileged to work alongside the BESTFLY team as we begin our journey with the Bell 505 in West Africa.”

BESTFLY, which was established in 2009, offers cost-effective services and using private, chartered aircraft.

“We are proud to accept the delivery of the first Bell 505 in Angola and West Africa,” said Nuno Pereira, managing director, BESTFLY. “The Bell 505 will be a great addition to our fleet of aircraft. It exceeded our expectations with the large, customizable cabin and fully integrated high-tech features. With the purchase of this aircraft, we are demonstrating our commitment toward enhancing the aviation industry in Angola. The Bell 505 will be utilized in developing the corporate transportation and sightseeing markets in the region.”

Bell has almost 30 505s operating in Africa and the Middle East, and more than 300 operating worldwide. With a speed of 125 knots (232 kilometers per hour) and a useful load of 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms), the Bell 505 is designed to be safe and easy to fly while providing unmatched value to the operator.

For more information, visit the Bell website.

Grace Dieb

Commercial Business, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East
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About Bell

Thinking above and beyond is what we do. For more than 85 years, we’ve been reimagining the experience of flight – and where it can take us.

We are pioneers. We were the first to break the sound barrier and to certify a commercial helicopter. We were a part of NASA’s first lunar mission and brought advanced tiltrotor systems to market. Today, we’re defining the future of advanced air mobility.

Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas – as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., – we have strategic locations around the globe. And with nearly one quarter of our workforce having served, helping our military achieve their missions is a passion of ours.

Above all, our breakthrough innovations deliver exceptional experiences to our customers. Efficiently. Reliably. And always, with safety at the forefront.

About Textron

Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pipistrel, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, and Textron Systems. For more information, visit: www.textron.com.

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements which may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, changes in aircraft delivery schedules or cancellations or deferrals of orders; our ability to keep pace with our competitors in the introduction of new products and upgrades with features and technologies desired by our customers; changes in government regulations or policies on the export and import of our products; volatility in the global economy or changes in worldwide political conditions that adversely impact demand for our products; volatility in interest rates or foreign exchange rates; and risks related to our international business, including establishing and maintaining facilities in locations around the world and relying on joint venture partners, subcontractors, suppliers, representatives, consultants and other business partners in connection with international business, including in emerging market countries.

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