Advanced Flight, one of New Zealand's largest helicopter charter and management companies, has taken delivery of two Bell 429 helicopters with the Designer Series interior. With these deliveries, Advanced Flight will manage and operate three VIP configured Bell 429s in its fleet.

“We are pleased to take delivery of our third Bell 429 and to operate these new designer series Bell 429 for our loyal customers,” says Advanced Flight CEO Keith Stephens. “At Advanced Flight, both our pilots and engineering teams have many years of experience operating the Bell 429 throughout New Zealand. This wealth of knowledge on the Bell 429 gives us the confidence to exceed the expectations of our customers in safety and comfort.”

Bell Asia Pacific MD Jacinto Monge adds: “The Bell 429 remains the light twin corporate helicopter of choice across Asia Pacific, as our corporate customers continue to experience how the comfort and reliability of the Bell 429 support their businesses and lifestyle. “We look forward to working with Advanced Flight to support its goal of providing high quality aircraft management services for all the Bell 429s in its fleet.”

The new Designer Series interior for the Bell 429, which was launched in March 2022, features interior upgrades for all cabin materials, combining material quality with a spacious cabin layout and soundproofing to deliver an enhanced customer experience in three coordinated colour schemes.

In addition to operating and managing the Bell 429s for corporate customers, Advanced Flight was awarded a contract in 2018 to manage and operate three Bell 429 helicopters for the New Zealand Police Air Support Unit, flying 3,300 hours annually.

With over 400 Bell 429s reaching more than 500,000 flight hours around the globe, the aircraft has been one of the most successful light twin helicopters on the market since its certification in 2009. The type is known for its speed, performance, range and low lifecycle cost, which make it ideal for a variety of missions such as law enforcement, para-public, HEMS and corporate transport.