Bristow Group has signed a pre-delivery payment (PDP) deposit agreement with Electra.aero including binding terms and conditions. The deal is aligned to the commercial aviation industry standard, subject to aircraft certification, and will secure the first delivery slot for Electra’s EL9 ultra short hybrid-electric aircraft, which is capable of carrying nine passengers with baggage or 3,000 pounds of cargo for 330nm and has a maximum ferry range of 1,100nm with IFR reserves.

By securing the earliest EL9 deliveries with its PDP agreement, Bristow confirms the company’s leadership role in shaping the future of direct aviation, positioning itself to offer customers unprecedented point-to-point access, dramatically reduced travel times and entirely new opportunities for regional mobility.

Bristow and Electra have worked together for five years, starting with a pre-order agreement in 2021. The parties have now converted their pre-order LOI into a fixed agreement for five EL9 delivery slots, all to be delivered in the EL9’s first year of production. By reserving these early slots, Bristow has secured unmatched early access to an aircraft set to redefine how people and goods move.

The PDP agreement includes option rights for Bristow to purchase another 45 aircraft at the same fixed terms. Bristow plans to deploy the EL9 across turnkey mobility solutions for corporate customers, premier destinations and resorts, major and regional airlines, and government agencies operating essential public service routes.

With more than seven decades of experience operating complex helicopter and fixed-wing missions for corporate and government customers around the world, Bristow has a proven history of integrating next-generation aviation technologies. The EL9 ultra short’s ability to take off and land in just 150 feet will allow Bristow to open new transportation options, strengthening airline networks and significantly reducing travel times.

“Bristow has a long and respected track record of safely operating complex missions in some of the most demanding environments on earth,” says Marc Allen, CEO of Electra. “We are proud to welcome Bristow as an EL9 launch customer. By reserving five delivery slots in the EL9’s first year of production to include slot one, they have made a powerful statement of confidence in Electra, our EL9 aircraft and the future of direct aviation. We could not imagine a stronger or more capable partner to lead the introduction of this transformative mode of advanced air mobility that will give communities, travellers and airlines access to fast, flexible and sustainable transportation.”

“Electra’s EL9 fundamentally changes what regional air mobility can be,” comments Dave Stepanek, Bristow executive vice president and chief transformation officer. “Its ultra short performance, quiet operation and lower operating costs create opportunities that simply do not exist with today’s aircraft. Securing delivery slot one and reserving delivery slots in the first year of production ensures Bristow will lead this new industry and bring advanced air mobility capabilities to our customers first. We are confident that with this order we will extend our legacy of innovation and deliver new levels of access, speed and sustainability to our customers across the many markets we serve.”

Electra’s direct aviation model uses ultra short aircraft to unlock thousands of new ultra short access points, including fields, parking lots and under-utilised runways, bringing air travel closer to where people live, work and play. By pairing practical infrastructure with transformative capability, direct aviation enables trips that were previously impractical or impossible and expands economic opportunity to communities of every size.