Agreement For Seven With Options For Eight More

Bell Textron announced that Global Medical Response signed a purchase agreement for seven Bell 429 aircraft with options for an additional eight. GMR remains the world’s largest operator of Bell helicopters in the Helicopter Emergency Response Service business. The company is headquartered in Lewisville, Texas, and has 381 operational bases in all 50 U.S. states and internationally.

The Bell 429 is built for rapid response with BasiX-Pro intuitive flight displays and its wide clamshell doors provide ample space for HEMS operators. The twin-engine helo cruises at 150 kts, enabling GMR to be on scene for urgent calls and interfacility transports when minutes matter.

Daniel Sweeza, National President of Air Operations for Global Medical Response said, “Adding the Bell 429 to our fleet will allow us to expand access to care to patients who need it. It also allows us to meet the requests of our healthcare partners, who have been asking for the flexibility the Bell 429 provides. We’re excited to add this airframe to our GMR communities starting in the spring of 2026.”

Lane Evans, Managing Director of North America for Bell said, “Bell is proud to continue our work with Global Medical Response as they expand their HEMS fleet operations with their first Bell 429. The Bell 429 is an incredible platform that was designed with HEMS operators in mind. We believe that the Bell 429 will be a true asset for the Global Medical Response team supporting their critical missions.”

This announcement follows the recent delivery by Bell of GMR’s first IFR-configured Bell 407GXi, the first of 24 deliveries of the aircraft to the aeromedical transport provider. Global Medical Response and its affiliates currently use the Bell 407 and 206L platforms to serve the emergency care needs of communities.

There are presently more than 500 Bell 429 helicopters operating worldwide that have amassed a cumulative total of over 735,000 flight hours.

FMI:  www.bellflight.com/