MESA, Arizona (November 2, 2017) – Able Aerospace Services, a subsidiary of Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, has signed a long-term contract renewal with Air Evac Lifeteam, part of Air Medical Group Holdings – the largest air ambulance service in the U.S. The contract designates Able as the exclusive service provider for dynamic component repair and overhaul services for Air Evac Lifeteam’s fleet of 128 Bell Helicopter 206 aircraft.
“Able has enjoyed a positive and productive relationship with Air Evac for more than 15 years,” said Gabriel Massey, General Manager for Able Aerospace Services. “This renewal is a great confirmation of our past successes and the many opportunities we have ahead of us.”
The new contract extends a previous five-year contract naming Able as sole support for Air Evac’s Bell 206 fleet. During that five-year period, Able provided maintenance services on more than 7,000 components across every aircraft in Air Evac’s fleet.
Air Evac Lifeteam President Seth Myers is pleased with the contract extension.
“Able is a valued partner, helping us to provide access to people in need of a higher level of emergency health care,” Myers said. “This contract extension signifies our faith in Able and its highly qualified employees.”
“Air Evac is a prime example of how operators across the world can benefit from our relationship with Bell Helicopter,” added Massey. “As a Bell Certified Service Center and a member of the Textron group of companies, we are part of a very a proactive network of Bell experts – all focused on providing support at every level of the customer experience, from day one that a new Bell helicopter is purchased through to the sundowning of a legacy aircraft.”
Operating from a 200,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art headquarters in Mesa, Arizona, Able offers more than 10,000 FAA-approved repairs and overhauls, some of the world’s largest rotable exchange inventories and in-house specialized services ranging from electroplating, chemical processing, machining and grinding to NDT testing, hydraulics and bearings services. Together with a team of more than 400 mechanics, engineers and support teams, Able completes over 95 percent of all jobs on site.
In recent years, Able has expanded its support capabilities with the addition of the Able Maintenance Center (AMC), which provides comprehensive maintenance and avionics expertise, including flight deck upgrades.
In March, the AMC delivered its 100th state-of-the-art flight deck upgrade for a mix of Air Evac Lifeteam’s Bell 206 and Bell 407 helicopters. The upgrade ensures that Air Evac is compliant with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) 2017 Helicopter Air Ambulance (HAA) mandate for cockpit safety improvements, such as Helicopter Terrain and Warning Systems (HTAWS), Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) and Flight Data Monitoring Systems (FDMS). Air Evac Lifeteam also chose to add additional safety enhancements to its fleet that are not required by the FAA mandate, such as the Garmin 650/500 glass cockpit, HeliSAS autopilot system and electronic flight bags.
About Able Aerospace Services
Able Aerospace Services is a leading supplier of component and MRO services. With headquarters and maintenance facilities on the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (KIWA) in Mesa, Arizona, Able's products and services support commercial and military fixed- and rotor-wing aviation. Able combines 32 years of aviation experience with a staff of approximately 450 employees to accomplish its mission: To safely reduce aircraft operating costs by providing resourceful component repair, overhaul and approved replacement parts solutions. Able is certified by numerous airworthiness authorities including the FAA, EASA, ANAC, CAAC, JCAB, DGCA and others.
About Textron Aviation Inc.
Textron Aviation Inc. is the leading general aviation authority and home to the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands, which account for more than half of all general aviation aircraft flying. The Textron Aviation companies include Cessna Aircraft Company and Beechcraft Corporation, bringing together decades of unmatched experience in designing, building and supporting airplanes. It provides the most versatile and comprehensive general aviation product portfolio in the world through five principal lines of business: business jets, general aviation and special mission turboprop aircraft, high performance piston aircraft, military trainer and defense aircraft, and a complete global customer service organization. Its broad range of products include such best-selling aircraft as Citation and Hawker business jets, King Air and Caravan turboprops and T-6 military trainer aircraft, all of which are backed by the industry’s most capable global service network. For more information, visit txtav.com.
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements which may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.