Abu Dhabi Aviation, the largest commercial helicopter operator in the region, is set to acquire a Bell 412EPI helicopter from Hawker Pacific, a leading aircraft sales and product support company in Asia, Pacific and the Middle East.

The Bell 412EPI is the first of its kind to be delivered worldwide and will be used for offshore oilfield support in the UAE.

According to Bell Helicopter, Abu Dhabi Aviation has been operating Bell Helicopter aircraft for more than 30 years, flying more than 700,000 flight hours in Bell 412 and Bell 212 helicopters.

Delivery of Abu Dhabi Aviation's Bell 412EPI will take place before the end of 2013.

Paul Giles, chief operating officer, Hawker Pacific Middle East Region, said: “This is truly a milestone event for Hawker Pacific, and comes at the conclusion of our regional demonstration tour of a Bell 412EPI aircraft.”

“We find it crucial for customers and potential customers to experience the aircraft first-hand so they can make a sound decision on their purchase. In such an exciting aviation market as the Middle East, this inaugural sale is a sign of the region’s growing influence in the helicopter industry,” he added.

Khaled Mashhour, commercial director at Abu Dhabi Aviation said: "The Bell 412 platform has been a vital part of our operations for many years. We chose to add the Bell 412EPI upgrade to our fleet for increased performance in the demanding environment we fly in every day. A more powerful engine and improved situational awareness for our pilots are two key features of the Bell 412EPI that will provide the enhanced performance we are looking for."

Danny Maldonado, Bell Helicopter's executive vice president of Sales and Marketing said: "The delivery of the first Bell 412EPI is the culmination of a dynamic effort between Bell Helicopter and our customers to design, develop and produce an aircraft with increased performance for hot and high conditions, as well as improved safety and lowered cost of operations.

“We are honoured that Abu Dhabi continues to place their trust in Bell products after three decades and we take pride in providing them with the reliable aircraft their challenging missions require."

First introduced in March 2013, the Bell 412EPI improves the Bell 412EP platform with the Bell BasiX Pro fully integrated glass flight deck, providing critical flight information at a glance for greater situational awareness and safety.

The Bell BasiX Pro system is specifically designed to meet the requirements of twin-engine helicopters and is optimised for IFR, Category A and JAR OPS3 compliant operations. The avionics suite also includes high resolution digital maps, electronic charts and approach plates, ADS-B transponder and optional HTAWS and XM satellite links.

The new Bell 412EPI also incorporates the power of Pratt & Whitney's PT6T-9 Twin Pac engines, providing 15 percent more horsepower than the standard Bell 412. – TradeArabia News Service