After considering twin engine rotorcraft including the EC135 and Agusta 109SP, Swiss operator Héli-Alpes has added a Bell 429 to its fleet. “We have looked for many years but in the end the performance of the B429 is superior,” explains vp and flight ops manager Jean-Daniel Berthod. The aircraft will principally be deployed for vip and tourists in Switzerland, but other uses may include heliski, aerial work and HEMS. The operator also runs an ATO flight school. Owing to its twin engines, Berthod is pleased to be able to offer commercial flights at night: “We can also assure passengers of increased comfort and speed for long flights.

“Some of our current clients use single engine for flights of less than one hour and would prefer a twin for longer flights.”

He says that there are many Alpine-based operators and that standards must remain exceptionally high, especially given the dangers which are commonplace in mountainous areas. Nonetheless, the company's outlook is positive, and Héli-Alpes has just ordered a Bell 505 Jet Ranger X, which is expected to be the first of its kind in Europe and is due to arrive at some point in 2016.

The company was founded in 2005 and today its helicopter fleet is ten-strong comprising an AS355NP, two EC130 B4s, two AS350B3+, an AS350B2, an EC120B and three smaller Robinsons. The Bell 429 will be the 11th aircraft on its roster.