Doubts emerge over status of Milestone commitment for Bell 525
Questions have emerged about one of the largest commitments for Bell’s in-development 525 Relentless super-medium-twin, which has been on the manufacturer’s books since 2015.
Ukraine receives first two H125 helicopters
Ukraine’s interior ministry has taken the first two of an eventual 24 Airbus Helicopters H125s dating from a 2018 order.
Bristow deferred H175 deliveries days prior to Chapter 11 filing
Bristow Group deferred delivery of its Airbus Helicopters H175s just 10 days prior to entering Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, an order the operator axed barely six months later as part of the financial restructuring.
Hyundai signs agreement to build Uber’s eVTOL aircraft
Korean car manufacturer Hyundai signed an agreement with Uber to manufacture eVTOL aircraft.
Bell’s eVTOL vision changes as it eliminates two rotors and goes all electric
Bell changed the design of its proposed electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, removing two rotor ducts and adding a purely electric propulsion option, after hearing from potential customers that shorter inner city travel would likely come before longer-range trips between metropolitan areas.
Bristow ditches H175 helicopter order
Bristow Group has cancelled its long-held order for 22 Airbus Helicopters H175 super-medium-twins, according to several people with knowledge of the matter, more than halving the airframer’s firm order backlog for the type.
Airbus Corporate Helicopters and Aston Martin launch special edition ACH130
Airbus Corporate Helicopters (ACH) is partnering with high-end car manufacturer Aston Martin on a bespoke edition of the ACH130. The agreement is for an initial three years, but could be extended and expanded to other models if the relationship works, the pair say.
Rehabilitation drive sees H225 make gradual return to service
Arguably one of the success stories over the past 12 months has been Airbus Helicopters’ efforts to repurpose the H225 heavy-twin. Initially banished from the offshore transport market in the wake of an April 2016 crash in Turoy, Norway, the situation was then compounded by plummeting oil prices and consequent helicopter overcapacity: even if operators were prepared to bring their H225s back into service, there was no requirement to do so.
Erickson delivers Sky Crane helicopter to Korean Forest Service
Aerospace firm Erickson delivered a K7 S-64 Air Crane helicopter to the Korean Forest Service (KFS) in late November.
Bell stops 525 entry-into-service predictions, but sticks with oil & gas market
Bell will no longer make predictions of when its 525 Relentless super-medium transport helicopter will finish Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification testing and enter into service after several years of delays.