ell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today during Farnborough International Airshow 2026 that it has delivered its 700th Bell 505 to a private VIP operator, highlighting the platforms’ popularity in the corporate aircraft segment.
“Our team is honored to ring in this Bell 505 milestone right here at the Farnborough International Airshow,” said Robin Wendling, managing director, Europe, Bell. “The Bell 505 is an incredible multi-mission aircraft, and we continue to see operators choosing this platform to join their fleet. We look forward to welcoming our newest operator to the Bell family, while also celebrating all of our Bell 505 operators across the different mission segments throughout the world.”
Since its introduction in 2017, the Bell 505 has accumulated more than 390,000 flight hours and operates in more than 55 countries across six continents. Based on the proven Bell 206L-4 rotor and drive system, the Bell 505 brings that familiar feel of its predecessor and elevates it with intuitive avionics and operational reliability supported by a global network of trusted specialists in their respective fields for MRO and simulator training.
In addition to its demand in the VIP travel segment, the Bell 505 doubles as the premier training platform for militaries in Jordan, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Albania, Montenegro, Indonesia, Iraq and South Korea, preparing pilots for mission readiness in modern warfare. The open cabin design, with its stadium seating for passengers in the back, makes it ideal for students to follow what is happening from all seats, maximizing the training capability that makes the aircraft feel like a flying classroom. The surrounding glass cockpit also allows optimal operational visibility.
