Bell Hands Over First 429s Completed at Prague Center

Bell Helicopter has delivered the first three fully customized aircraft to be completed at its new European Customization and Delivery Center in Prague, the company announced yesterday. The Model 429 light twins are configured for EMS for Air Transport Europe of Slovakia. Bell's Prague facility includes a paint booth that can handle all Bell products up to the in-development 525 super-medium twin.

“We celebrated the installation of our brand-new paint facility and delivery center earlier this May,” said Joachim Goldenberg, general manager of the Prague center. “We now have the ability to provide full customization, including maintenance, repair and overhaul capabilities, offering a bespoke delivery experience for all of our European customers."

Bell called the growth of its civil fleet in Europe in recent years "significant," particularly in the parapublic and EMS sectors. Bell also has a supply center in Amsterdam, owns blade repair shop Rotor Blades in Warminster, England, and counts 16 customer service facilities in Europe and Russia.