Jet Aviation delivery five customized Bell 407GXi aircraft to Nautilus Aviation

Jet Aviation has delivered five customized Bell 407GXi aircraft to Nautilus Aviation, a helicopter service provider based in Northern Australia. The delivery is part of a total order of five aircraft sold and reconfigured by Jet Aviation for charter, utility, and tourism work. The five aircraft were sold by Jet Aviation, a Bell Independent Representative in Australia, and fully customized for specialist use at Jet Aviation Bankstown. The modifications included role equipment installation, including air conditioning, emergence pop-out floats, emergency locator transmitters, and cabin audio, in addition to regular aircraft reassembly from shipping. Jet Aviation also managed the issuance of the Australian certificate of airworthiness. The first aircraft was delivered to Nautilus in Q4 2022, with the final aircraft delivered in Q2, 2023.

Ian D’Arcy vice president MRO operations Pacific & rotary sales, commented: “We pride ourselves on offering our customers a full, personalized in-house service, from sale of the aircraft to full customization and ongoing MRO. The delivery of these five aircraft is the latest milestone in our decades-long relationship with Nautilus, and we are honored to remain their partner of choice for rotary sales, bespoke modification, and MRO. As a Bell Independent Representative and Customer Service Facility, Jet Aviation has delivered a total of 13 new Bell aircraft in Australia and New Zealand in the past year, cementing our position as one of the foremost rotary partners in the region.”

Aaron Finn CEO of Nautilus Aviation, said: “One of our primary reasons for selecting the Bell 407 GXi Aircraft as the flagship of our fleet was the versatility of the airframe and the upgrades made to enhance both customer and pilot experiences. The after sales support has been exceptional and we continue to work closely with Jet Aviation and Bell on specialized maintenance programs and training for our teams across all company bases.”

The aircraft were reconfigured to ensure they meet a wide range of requirements, including transporting charter and tourism passengers, and utility and support work such as flood relief efforts and firefighting. Jet Aviation has some five rotary customization and maintenance facilities in Australia and the Middle East, including two RBI Hawker facilities in partnership with Bell Helicopters. The company also offers helicopter sales in both geographies and is a Bell Independent Representative and Customer Service Facility in Australia.