PhilJets, the fast-growing boutique aviation company in the Philippines, signed a Bell 505 letter of intent (LOI) for its client under management contract. The company will be operating the four-passenger-seat, single-engine, turbine helicopter that will be outfitted for corporate and VIP transport, adding as a middle-size option to travel across the region.

Founder and CEO of PhilJets Group, Thierry Tea and Bell Helicopter’s Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing, Patrick Moulay signed the LOI for the Bell 505 at the Singapore Airshow, making it one of 350 LOIs submitted worldwide and the first in the Philippines.

“We are thrilled that our Group’s clients will be the first in the country to have the new Bell 505,” said Thierry Tea. “The value and performance capabilities will complement the range of our expanding fleet. It is what a growing client segment is looking for. It will enable us to quickly and comfortably transfer our customers and partners at a competitive cost throughout the region.” “We will have seven bigger size single engine helicopters this year, and the 505 is good for clients looking at a size bigger than the R44 but smaller than the Ecureuil AS350B2. Our customer wanted it, and we are responding to their needs.”

Michiko Soriano, Business Development Manager, added “The Bell 505 is an ideal product offering for mid-sized passenger groups and is perfect for our future projects that we are exploring with different partners.”

“The Bell 505 offers an exceptional combination of value, performance and features available on the market today and customers continue to respond,” said Patrick Moulay. “With more than 100 letters of intent throughout Asia Pacific alone, the Bell 505 is proving to be a strong contender to address the corporate and VIP market.

Through its subsidiary PhilJets Aero Charter Corp, PhilJets aims to provide comprehensive solutions to the needs of both helicopter and jet owners on one side and time sharing or charter clients on the other side, at international standards. The operator highly promotes helitours around the country. Aside from aircraft management and chartering, PhilJets, having celebrated its 3rd anniversary in January 2016, assists as well in aircraft acquisitions, maintenance, and spare parts management. The operator that will reach USD 20 Millions in assets under management this year, is also in the process of launching its own Helicopter Training Center.

PhilJets, whose parent company Starline Global Industry is Singapore based, is set to grow its fleet this year to seven aircrafts including six Airbus Helicopters and one Finmeccanica Helicopter (formerly Agusta). The models are four H130 and two AS350B2 Airbus Helicopters and a Koala 119 Finmeccanica Helicopter.

To complement the fleet, the Bell 505 with a cruise speed of 125 knots (232 km/h), range of 360 nautical miles (667 km) and useful load of 1,500 pounds (608 kg) is bigger than the Robinson R44 but smaller than the Ecureuil AS350B2. It is fitted with a Garmin G1000H Integrated Avionics Suite to provide pilots critical flight information at a glance to maximize situational awareness. Pilot workload is further reduced by the Turbomeca Arrius 2R engine with dual channel Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC).

PhilJets attended the Singapore Airshow together with the Philippine Delegation that also includes the Philippine Trade Investment Center, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, the Board of Investments, the Aerospace Industries Association of the Philippines, the Department of Trade and Industries, and several Philippine Aerospace and Aviation companies.

About PhilJets Group (www.philjets.com)

PhilJets Group includes PhilJets Aero Services Inc. and PhilJets Aero Charter Corp, leaders in the Philippine Business Aviation industry providing Global Services in the Philippines and within the Asia Pacific Region. Its range of activities include General Aviation Services, Ground Handling, Aircraft Management, Aircrafts Sales, Spare Parts Sales, Maintenance Services, Technical Support, Manpower & Outsourcing, Representation, Charter Flights, Helicopter Tours, and Aerial Work.

PhilJets’ customers include General and Business Aviation firms, Commercial Airlines, MRO companies, Government Agencies, tourists and private individuals.

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.

Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses 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, Textron Systems and TRU Simulation + Training. For more information, visit www.textron.com.