Delivery of First Bell 505 to West Africa

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Mirabel, Canada (29 Nov. 2022) – Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced the delivery of the first Bell 505 to Angolan aviation company, BESTFLY. The aircraft was handed over during a ceremony in Mirabel, Canada.

BESTFLY was established in 2009 and today is Angola’s biggest private aviation company, carrying out a range of services, including aircraft management and charter, catering, flight planning, transfers and flight handling.

“We’re proud to take delivery of the very first Bell 505 in West Africa,” said Nuno Pereira, CEO and founder, BESTFLY. This addition to our fleet will add a new dimension to our service offering and showcases our commitment to further developing the aviation industry in the region. We will be using the new 505 for corporate transportation and sightseeing tours, among other missions. It’s a great aircraft that is incredibly easy to maintain and the customer service from the Bell team has been excellent.”

This is the first Bell 505 in Angola and BESTFLY plans to add another one to its fleet later next year.

“Alcinda and Nuno Pereira are visionaries in aviation. They have built a formidable business spanning beyond Angola, and that will be further enhanced with the delivery of a new Bell 505,” said Sameer Rehman, managing director, Africa and Middle East. “This aircraft is once again proving its versatility and reliability in this market. We look forward to BESTFLY using the Bell 505 in many innovative ways for all the work they do in the region.”

First launched in 2017, the short light single Bell 505 helicopter has proved incredibly popular across the globe, achieving 100,000 flight hours in May this year. There are currently 30 505s operating in Africa and the Middle East, and the platform celebrated its 400th global delivery in August.

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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