Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company,  (NYSE: TXT), announced it has received number one in the Aviation International News (AIN) Product Support Survey for the ninth consecutive year.

The survey, conducted in both the fixed wing and rotorcraft segments, measures multiple categories of customer satisfaction, including company-owned and authorized service center performance, parts availability and cost, AOG response, warranty fulfillment, technical manuals and technical representatives and overall aircraft reliability. Bell Helicopter received top marks in five of the categories including parts availability and cost of parts (tied for first), AOG response (tied for first), technical manuals (tied for first) and overall aircraft reliability. The company scored second in authorized service center performance, technical representatives, warranty fulfillment and maintenance tracking programs.

“We are honored to receive this recognition for the ninth consecutive year,” said Eric Cardinali, executive vice president, Bell Helicopter’s Customer Support and Services (CSS). “It is our customers’ dedication to Bell Helicopter which has allowed us to retain this top spot, and that trust isn’t something we take for granted. Their feedback serves as a reminder to the entire Bell Helicopter team of the importance of aftermarket support and services to keep our customers safely flying.”

The company also saw improvements in the ratings of its company-owned and company authorized service centers and warranty fulfillment scores as compared to last year’s results.

“We are pleased to see progress in these areas, but we also know we must continue to improve in segments where we have not met our customers’ expectations,” continued Cardinali. “The entire CSS team is intent on ensuring access to reliable, regional support and service offerings.”

Bell Helicopter is home to a comprehensive customer support network made up of eight Bell Helicopter-owned support centers; five global distribution centers, 50 customer support engineers and 43 dedicated product support engineers focused on fulfilling customer requirements, increasing global responsiveness and lowering direct operating costs. The company also has more than 100 Bell Helicopter authorized customer service facilities in 34 countries.

The company has received number one in the Helicopter Product Support  Survey from Professional Pilot magazine for 20 consecutive years.

About Bell Helicopter

Bell Helicopter, a wholly owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., is an industry-leading producer of commercial and military, manned and unmanned vertical-lift aircraft and the pioneer of the revolutionary tiltrotor aircraft. Globally recognized for world-class customer service, innovation and superior quality, Bell’s global workforce serves customers flying Bell aircraft in more than 120 countries.

About Textron Inc.

Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems. For more information, visit www.textron.com.