Delivery Announced At Aero India Air Show

Bell Helicopter has made the first delivery of a Bell 429 helicopter to a customer in India. The customer, Span Air, is an air charter operator headquartered in New Delhi. They say the addition of the new aircraft to the fleet will allow the operator to offer customers superior speed and range, and the ability to land in remote areas.

File Photo

"In every way, the acquisition of the Bell 429 for operations in India makes excellent business sense," said Capt. Sudhir Malik, COO, Span Air Tuesday at the biennial Aero India air show. "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 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.

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.

FMI: www.bellhelicopter.com