Airbus Helicopters signed a contract with the Hellenic Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection for the purchase of eight H215 helicopters (with an option for two additional aircraft) to support the combat of wildfires in the country following a tender conducted by the Project Preparation Facility of Growthfund (the National Fund of Greece) on behalf of the Ministry. This contract is suppor...
Bell Textron announced the first Bell 505 sale in the Netherlands to Gerrit Verwijs, owner of Verdegro Group, a Dutch public safety infrastructure manufacturer. With its newly acquired Bell 505, the Verdegro Group plans to use the helicopter for its company travels, including meetings with their international customer base and representation of their facilities near Breda. R...
Airbus has committed to providing full flight H160/H175 simulators for training in Brazil in 2028. The simulators will support the training needs for the growing energy sector in Latin America, demonstrating Airbus’ commitment to customer proximity and aviation safety. The H160/H175 full-flight simulators will have Level D training capabilities and will be qualified by ANAC, the Brazili...
Sikorsky announced a long-term agreement to provide enhanced support for Bristow's S-92 helicopter fleet. This agreement deepens the decades-long collaboration between the two companies and provides enhanced support for Bristow’s more than 60 S-92 aircraft operating in key markets around the world, including offshore energy and search and rescue. The long-term package extending into...
SKYTRAC and Sikorsky announced an agreement regarding the development of a next-generation real-time health and usage monitoring system (HUMS) for the S-92 helicopter. This solution, created by SKYTRAC and Sikorsky, will seamlessly integrate with Sikorsky’s existing HUMS system and leverage SKYTRAC’s new Iridium Certus satcom systems to enable in-flight exceedance detec...
At Aero Friedrichshafen Bell Textron announced its first signed purchase agreement for the SUBARU Bell 412EPX in Europe for commercial operations. Austrian air carrier, Kitz-Air GmbH, signed a purchase agreement for the newest Bell 412 variant, to be used for aerial work, transport flights and forestry operations. Bell received previous orders for the SUBARU Bell 412EPX in the European market from...
To provide more training options for its global customers, especially for operators in the EMEA regions, the Bell Training Academy recently expanded its technical training courses in Valencia, Spain. The BTA Valencia team launched courses previously offered at its Fort Worth, TX facility to provide two new comprehensive programs for maintenance technicians, designed to give a full overview of the...
Rotortrade has been officially certified to perform maintenance operations on AW139 helicopters. The certification, granted by the EASA / OSAC, is effective as of March 2025 and enables Rotortrade’s European Maintenance Center in Tallard to immediately begin work on the widely used twin-engine aircraft. This development is part of Rotortrade’s broader investment into technical capabili...
North Queensland helicopter company Helipower ordered one new H125 helicopter this week, to join their existing fleet of five helicopters. Helipower specialises in rural, remote and off-shore air transport and aerial work services, from bases in Townsville, Rockhampton and Horn Island. Kelly Forster, Director and Chief Pilot at Helipower commented: “We’re excited to order our first...
Bell Textron is proud to be celebrating Kestrel Aviation 40th anniversary. As the operator of Australia’s largest Bell medium-twin fleet and the preeminent leader in aerial firefighting, Kestrel Aviation has been proudly protecting Australian communities for four decades, partnering and providing fire and emergency management agencies across the country with world-class service and supp...
Melbourne based helicopter operator, Microflite, has ordered an additional H125 to join their fleet in Australia, making it their 20th Airbus helicopter ordered over the years. This proven utility helicopter joins the fleet as part of Microflite’s strategy to continue to deliver the highest levels of safety available to their customers, with the H125 being the backbone of their fleet for all...
At Avalon Australian International Airshow Bell Textron announced the Queensland Police Service has entered into a second service provision contract for QPS POLAIR services for three additional Bell 429s, which will expand the number of Bell helicopters in its current fleet to six. In 2022, contract provider Surf Life Saving Queensland signed for three Bell 429s, operating the QPS P...