Delivery of First Bell 505 to West Africa

November 29, 2022

Mirabel, Canada (29 Nov. 2022)  Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced the delivery of the first Bell 505 to Angolan aviation company, BESTFLY. The aircraft was handed over during a ceremony in Mirabel, Canada.

BESTFLY was established in 2009 and today is Angola’s biggest private aviation company, carrying out a range of services, including aircraft management and charter, catering, flight planning, transfers and flight handling.

“We’re proud to take delivery of the very first Bell 505 in West Africa,” said Nuno Pereira, CEO and founder, BESTFLY. “This addition to our fleet will add a new dimension to our service offering and showcases our commitment to further developing the aviation industry in the region. We will be using the new 505 for corporate transportation and sightseeing tours, among other missions. It’s a great aircraft that is incredibly easy to maintain and the customer service from the Bell team has been excellent.”

This is the first Bell 505 in Angola and BESTFLY plans to add another one to its fleet later next year.

“Alcinda and Nuno Pereira are visionaries in aviation. They have built a formidable business spanning beyond Angola, and that will be further enhanced with the delivery of a new Bell 505,” said Sameer Rehman, managing director, Africa and Middle East. “This aircraft is once again proving its versatility and reliability in this market. We look forward to BESTFLY using the Bell 505 in many innovative ways for all the work they do in the region.”

First launched in 2017, the short light single Bell 505 helicopter has proved incredibly popular across the globe, achieving 100,000 flight hours in May this year. There are currently 30 505s operating in Africa and the Middle East, and the platform celebrated its 400th global delivery in August.

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For more information, visit the Bell website.

Press Contact:

Grace Dieb
+1 817‐280‐5384
mediarelations@bellflight.com

ABOUT BELL
Thinking above and beyond is what we do. For more than 85 years, we’ve been reimagining the experience of flight – and where it can take us. We are pioneers. We were the first to break the sound barrier and to certify a commercial helicopter. We were a part of NASA’s first lunar mission and brought advanced tiltrotor systems to market. Today, we’re defining the future of advanced air mobility. Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas – as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., – we have strategic locations around the globe. And with nearly one quarter of our workforce having served, helping our military achieve their missions is a passion of ours. Above all, our breakthrough innovations deliver exceptional experiences to our customers. Efficiently. Reliably. And always, with safety at the forefront.

ABOUT TEXTRON INC.

Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pipistrel, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, and Textron Systems. For more information, visit: www.textron.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.

Connect with Textron IR

David Rosenberg, Vice President, Investor Relations
(401) 457-2288
Kyle Williams, Manager, Investor Relations
(401) 457-2288

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