Hoping to further exploit the growing helicopter market in Asia, Bell has shipped a Bell 505 Jet Ranger X from Canada to Singapore as it begins a three-month-long tour in the region.
Starting from Jakarta, Indonesia, earlier this month, the Bell 505 will make stops in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as high-altitude demo flights in Nepal—a first for the type. Indonesia is one of the largest markets for Bell, with air-taxi firm White Sky Aviation currently operating two Bell 505 and two more are due for delivery this year. The start-up signed a letter of intent in 2016 for 30 of the model.
Following the Singapore Airshow in February, Bell has secured three signings in the Philippines and one each in Australia, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand. Managing director, Bell Asia-Pacific, David Sale said that a fully configured helicopter is available at around $1.5 million, with the backlog extending to April 2019.
Sale noted that since there are currently no 505 training facilities in the region, the company is evaluating training partners with various schools. The company will strategically look at the range ring, balancing demand, distance from customers, and the number of Bell 505s in the country before selecting training locations, he added.