Heli-Expo: Abu Dhabi Aviation signs for ten Bell 'Relentless' helicopters

The agreement was signed at the Heli-Expo 2014 in California.
The UAE operator said it chose the Bell 525 for its versatility to support a number of missions, including offshore oil and gas, emergency medical support, VIP transport, firefighting and search and rescue.
Bell Helicopter has designated Abu Dhabi Aviation as the lead customer for the Middle East, Africa and Eurasia.
"We have spent more than half a century serving the Middle East, and Abu Dhabi Aviation has been a large part of that history," said Bell Helicopter president and CEO John Garrison. “The 525 Relentless is the perfect aircraft complement to their existing fleet and we are absolutely thrilled to have them as our launch customer for the region."
Abu Dhabi Aviation is the largest commercial operator in the Middle East, operating 38 Bell Helicopters. The company has been operating Bell Helicopter aircraft for more than 30 years, flying more than 750,000 flight hours in Bell 412 and Bell 212 helicopters. It will now add the Bell 525 to its fleet.
The Bell 525 is the world’s first fly-by-wire commercial helicopter, able to operate in austere environments safely and reliably with decreased pilot workload. The Relentless can comfortably accommodate 16 passengers and two crew members and has a cruise speed of 155 knots and a range of 500 nautical miles. Testing is underway in Bell Helicopter’s fully integrated System Integration Lab (SIL), allowing for virtual flight testing of the Bell 525. The first flight is due later this year with two aircraft currently in assembly.

PICTURED: Bell Helicopter president and CEO John Garrison and Capt. Jack Lunn, operations director for Abu Dhabi Aviation, celebrate at the signing ceremony held at HAI Heli-Expo 2014.