Bell Signs First Bell 525 Purchase Agreement with Equinor for 10 Aircraft

Fleet of 10 aircraft ordered for North Sea offshore operations

Anaheim, CA (March 1, 2024) Bell, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced  a signed purchase agreement with Equinor for the sale of 10 Bell 525 aircraft for North Sea offshore operations with deliveries expected to begin in 2026.

The 525 offers Equinor superior technological innovation in terms of helicopter safety, reduced CO2 emissions, pilot support systems, passenger comfort and internal and external noise reduction.

“Our relationship with Equinor will enhance the standard of innovation for oil and gas missions and North Sea operations,” said Danny Maldonado, Chief Commercial Officer, Bell. “The Bell 525 technology provides a generational leap forward and will revolutionize offshore oil and gas operations by providing enhanced safety capabilities, reliability and optimized operations.”

Norwegian Aviation and Defense Group representing Bell in Norway are proud to have supported this breakthrough for Bell 525 to be chosen as the new platform for transport of personnel for the energy sector and Equinor.

“Bell has delivered aircraft and reliable services for more than 30 years to Norwegian operators, both in the government and commercial spheres, and will continue to do the same to the Norwegian Continental Shelf and the Energy sector. We are looking forward to developing this further with Equinor,” says Norwegian Aviation and Defense Group Chief Executive Mr Ole Petter Bakken.

The Bell 525 incorporates fly-by-wire flight controls, industry leading drive system performance and fully integrated vehicle health monitoring. The 525-drive system architecture is also precedent setting; with all high-speed drives removed from the main rotor gearbox to incorporate independent and redundant reduction and accessory drive gearboxes. Bell 525 production is ongoing at Bell’s Amarillo Assembly Center, with offshore-configured aircraft coming off the line in 2024.

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 INC.

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, [the timing of certification of new aircraft products], changes in aircraft delivery schedules or cancellations or deferrals of orders.