Bell Textron Inc. announced at European Rotors 2025 that a dedicated Bell 505 helicopter has surpassed 700 flight hours using blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a milestone that reinforces the company’s commitment to cleaner aviation practices. This achievement was accomplished in collaboration with Safran Helicopter Engines, a key partner in the technical evaluation of SAF use in the Arrius 2R engine.

Bell’s Managing Director for Europe, Robin Wendling, emphasized that this result represents a significant step toward reducing emissions in the industry and demonstrates the potential of SAF as a viable alternative for flight operations. Since March 2022, Bell and Safran have been working together to study the performance of sustainable fuel and its economic impact on the Bell 505.

In 2023, the Bell 505 became the first single-engine helicopter to conduct a demonstration flight using 100% SAF. Since then, the aircraft has accumulated more than 700 flight hours with SAF blend at the Bell Training Academy, with engine and operational evaluations consistently showing positive results.

Source and Credits to Bell 505

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