Air Zermatt takes delivery of one Bell 429

429 Air Zermatt in the Alps Switzerland 2013

Swiss helicopter rescue service Air Zermatt has taken delivery of one new Bell 429 aircraft — coinciding with the company’s 50-year anniversary.

The company operates rescue missions in the Swiss Alps with a fleet of two Bell 429s, Two H135s, five AS350s and two SA315B Lamas. The operator also signed up to the Bell customer-advantage plan to receive maintenance and servicing for the two 429s directly from the manufacturer.

Gerold Biner, CEO, Air Zermatt said: “There is no better way for us to celebrate such a significant milestone than with an exciting addition to our fleet.

“This Bell 429 is truly customer designed and has incredible performance, especially in the tough terrain of the Swiss Alps. Bell continuously surpasses our expectations in terms of products and customer care, and we are thrilled to receive another beautiful aircraft.”

Bell delivered three 429s in the first quarter of 2018 according to the GAMA shipment report. This is fewer than some competitors’ light-twin offerings, with Airbus shipping nine H135s and Leonardo delivering four AW109s.

Bell shipped more single-engine offerings in the first quarter of 2018, delivering 25 Bell 505s and 17 407GXPs.

The 429 has been in operation for five years and flies on VIP, emergency medical services and parapublic missions.

Patrick Moulay, senior vice president, commercial business said: “We are delighted that after five years of Bell 429 operations, where the aircraft proved its incredible performance in one of the most demanding missions in the world, Air Zermatt chose the aircraft again for its long-term twin-engine needs.”