Several Aircraft Sales Meet Growing Interest In China

Bell Helicopter continues to grow its presence in China with the announcement of letters of intent to purchase five aircraft during the Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE), held April 14-16.

“We were proud to be a major rotorcraft attraction at ABACE. While at the show, we met with many current and potential customers and provided updates on the capabilities our helicopters can deliver as China’s air space restrictions continue to relax,” said Chris Jaran, vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing for Bell Helicopter in China.

During the course of the show, Bell Helicopter held signings for five new aircraft to customers in China:

• Guangxi Zhanzhuo General Aviation signed for one Bell 407GXP, the first of its type to be sold in China, to be used for low altitude tourism in Guilin, Guangxi Province.
• Nanjing Ruoer General Aviation signed a letter of intent to purchase two Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopters to be used for flight training.
• Jiangsu Shenghao also signed a letter of intent to purchase two Bell 505 helicopters to be used in for flight training and low altitude tourism.

“The excitement about our presence at ABACE, the continued recognition of our brand, and these letters of intent are indicative of the growing interest in Bell’s customer-driven, high-performance aircraft in China,” continued Jaran.

The Bell Helicopter chalet was visited by Matt Zucarro, president of Helicopter Association International; Ed Bolen, president and CEO of National Business Aviation Association; Max Baucus, US Ambassador to China; Guy Saint-Jacques, Canadian Ambassador to China; and Susan Kurland, Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
 
On April 14, the team attended the 2nd China Private Jet Awards Dinner, held in conjunction with the show, where Jaran accepted an award for the Bell 407 being voted “Best Light Single Engine Helicopter” by U-Jet Magazine. The Bell 407 type aircraft is highly popular with customers in China, comprising 45 percent of Bell’s current installed fleet of helicopters in the country. This is the second year the aircraft has been awarded this distinction.

Bell Helicopter showcased a Bell 505 mock-up as well as a corporate-configured Bell 429 at ABACE.  Both aircraft are ideally suited for corporate/VIP missions.

FMI: www.bellhelicopter.com