The New Zealand Police Air Support Unit's fleet of three Bell 429 helicopters recently surpassed 15,000 flight hours of successful operations. Since 2019, the Bell 429 aircraft have primarily served as airborne observation platforms to coordinate ground unit operations, especially when persons of interest remain present at incidents.

"Reaching 15,000 flight hours in such a short period is a remarkable achievement for the New Zealand Police Air Support Unit and its aviation services provider, Advanced Flight," says Daniel McQuestin, Bell's business development director for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Rim. "Bell values our work with law enforcement customers worldwide who rely on Bell 429 helicopters to safely and efficiently perform their important community missions."

The New Zealand Police maintains 24/7 airborne coverage, equaling approximately 3,300 planned flight hours annually.

Advanced Flight also completed the final modification of the Bell 429s, installing a custom law enforcement package that suits the mission requirements of the New Zealand Police Air Support Unit. "Advanced Flight is proud to have supported the New Zealand Police Air Support Unit and its Bell 429 aircraft since 2019, and we look forward to continuing to provide it, as well as our other customers and their fleets, with a more diverse and specialised range of aviation services," says CEO Keith Stephens. "Our commitment to excellence and innovation, coupled with our extensive experience and in-house training capabilities, positions us as the premier Bell 429 operator in the Southern Hemisphere."