Abu Dhabi Aviation’s Bell Helicopter Fleet Reaches 1 Million Hours of Operation

Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, and Abu Dhabi Aviation announce reaching 1 million hours of successfully operating their Bell Helicopter fleet.

“We have been operating Bell Helicopter aircraft since the 1976,” says Mohamed Ibrahim Al Mazrouei, general manager, Abu Dhabi Aviation. “Our Bell Helicopter fleet has grown to over 40 aircraft, made up of Bell 212s and Bell 412s, that fly a combined 100 hours per day. With outstanding customer support and service maintenance, we have managed to achieve an operational readiness of 100% during the past two years.”

Abu Dhabi Aviation is the largest commercial helicopter operator in the Middle East, operating 59 helicopters and 4 fixed-wing aircraft. The company employs over 1200 people and provides aviation offshore oil support and other services worldwide, in particular for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas production companies. The company also provides VVIP passenger transportation services, search and rescue for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), crop spraying, aerial construction, seismic support, and fire fighting in Europe and third party maintenance support.

The Bell 412 is one of the most reliable, rugged and versatile helicopters on the market; it is the daily workhorse that reliably performs in some of the most extreme climates around the world every day. It provides multi-mission flexibility while its wide opening 7.7 feet/2.3 meter doors easily accommodate forklift loadings into a spacious 220 cubic foot/6.2 cubic meter cabin. Along with its spacious cabin, the aircraft can be configured in a variety of ways to accommodate up to 14 passengers.

The Bell 412 and Bell 212 are backed by Bell Helicopter's renowned in-service support, voted #1 by customers 22 years running. The company was recently voted best in the business in Vertical Magazine’s Helicopter Manufacturers Survey.