The upcoming 525 Relentless will “change Bell in Europe,” the company’s new managing director of the region claims, with the potential to open up the offshore market in the North Sea for the U.S.-based OEM.
“There is really, really strong interest from that segment in the 525, so that’s going to change Bell in Europe, for sure, because it’s a completely new segment for us,” Robin Wendling told reporters during a media briefing at European Rotors in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. “We are already looking at getting established in Norway to cope with the North Sea and grow from there.”
Wendling has been with Bell in Europe for 10 years, “working with the team and trying to constantly grow our footprint,” he said.
But much of his recent focus has been on the North Sea — drumming up interest in and potential orders for the 525. Earlier this year, Norwegian energy company Equinor became the first to announce orders for the type, with 10 bookings. The first four are scheduled to be delivered in 2026, with the remaining six arriving between 2027 and 2030.
“With the 525 in Norway, that, for us, is really a big focus,” said Wendling. “We see a lot of potential for incremental business — we are really back on that energy segment.”
He described the 525 as representing “a step change in the market,” and said he didn’t consider it as part of the super medium category of aircraft — a bracket that includes Leonardo’s AW189 and Airbus’s H175.
“I think it’s going to be more of a light heavy, with a lot of growth potential,” said Wendling. “We are not trying to position the aircraft against a super medium. . . . We see a lot of replacement opportunities, so we’re going to [service] that segment where you need a 525 to reach those platform and deliver and transport those passengers there. Same for SAR [search-and-rescue].”
Chris Schaefer, Bell’s vice president of global customer solutions, said customers are “responding positively” to the value proposition of a 525, despite the reported leap in acquisition cost between it and the 189 and 175.
“When we have the value conversations with customers — and we’ve had quite a few of them — they’re really excited about the safety, [and] the functionality that aircraft adds to the field,” he said. “So, there are some customers where we’ve had to have those dollar-to-dollar conversations, but that capability and the benefits of the 525 in the fielded fleet are really substantial.”
Earlier this year, Bell said it hoped to receive type certification of the long-awaited fly-by-wire aircraft from the Federal Aviation Administration by the end of 2024. Wendling said he couldn’t comment on certification timelines, but the company is nearing final tests.
European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval will be pursued immediately afterwards.
“We’ve been engaged with the EASA for quite some time, so that’s going on in parallel,” said Wendling. “Everybody knows we have this contract in Norway … so we are really engaged with both authorities.”
The contract in Norway requires the aircraft to have a full icing protection system (FIPS), and work to certify that is also ongoing. Last winter saw the first season of FIPS tests, and this winter will see the system used in natural icing conditions.
Building the European fleet
Wendling said Bell has a “pretty strong, established team” in Europe, with some noteworthy “ambassador customers” such as the Swedish National Police, Air Zermatt, and Air Transport Europe — all flying the Bell 429.
This week, the company celebrated the sale of its 100th 505 Jet Ranger X in Europe, and Wendling said the light single has further growth potential as a trainer and in utility work.
The focus for the 407 and 429 will be on opportunities in the law enforcement, HEMS and utility markets.
Wendling said the battle for market share in the heartland of Airbus Helicopters and Leonardo could only be a good thing for the industry.
“We are for a healthy and open competition — that’s what we believe is just good for the customers, it’s good for the industry, it’s good for the taxpayers,” he said. “So, we want to get the opportunity to compete. We believe Bell has a pretty competitive offering with new products, new technology, [and] increased safety.”
In the week before European Rotors, Bell celebrated the 50th anniversary of its Amsterdam Service Centre — a key component of its aftermarket support for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Located near Amsterdam’s Schipol international airport, the hub benefits from excellent air, rail, road, and water transport connections.
“The team’s got fantastic relationships with a lot of our customers in Europe, Middle East and Africa, that that support hub and solution is duplicated a few places around the world,” said Schaefer. “Amsterdam is really what set that blueprint up as we established other supply centers.”
Bell also has a service center in Prague, which offers maintenance, repair and overhaul services, customization, re-assembly, and delivery; a training academy in Valencia, Spain; and a rotor blade repair facility in Warminster, U.K.
