Bell, March 11, 2025 - Georgetown, Guyana - Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. company and Omni Helicopters International Group (OHI, Omni), Latin America's leading air mobility solutions provider announced a joint offshore operational evaluation program for the Bell 525 helicopter, to be conducted over several months at Omni’s high-tempo operation in Georgetown, Guyana, pending type certification.
Following type certification, Bell will operate the Bell 525 helicopter in collaboration with Omni to undertake a program of offshore mission flights. The helicopter will be loaded to representative mission weights and will be fully integrated into the daily flight planning processes and flight schedule. The helicopter will visit multiple offshore installations in the region and will be loaded, unloaded and refueled routinely to subject it to a sustained trial under actual field conditions.
Danny Maldonado, Chief Commercial Officer, Bell said “We’re honored to be working with Omni to leverage the advanced technology the Bell 525 aircraft will bring to the industry. This program will enable the Bell 525 to demonstrate its performance, capabilities and reliability as the ideal offshore aircraft. The Bell 525 was designed for offshore operations in the oil and gas market, and we’re thrilled to embark on this endeavor to showcase its revolutionary capabilities to the industry.”
Duncan Moore, Group COO at OHI, said “We’re thrilled to have devised this innovative and industry leading program with Bell. Omni is a company that embraces innovation and solves challenges for our customers, and one such challenge facing us is the selection of a future helicopter for medium and long-range offshore missions. We’re confident that the Bell 525 will prove itself in this space, and Omni is delighted to facilitate the opportunity in the highly representative Guyana mission environment. We’re also delighted for our team, and the wider aviation community in Guyana, who will be amongst the first to get exposure to this next generation aircraft”
The operational evaluation will see Bell fly the 525 integrated with the 200 flight per month Omni flying program. Loaded to representative operating weights, the aircraft will undertake the exact same sequences of flights as the live operational fleet in Guyana, exposing it to the intensity and pressures of live commercial line operations.
Special focus will be placed on operational resilience, supply chain robustness and durability when exposed to frequent ground handling activity, both on and offshore. The Bell 525 continues to progress toward FAA certification.
Around 500 hours of flying is planned over a 6-month program.
About Omni Helicopters International: Omni Helicopters International Group (OHI) stands at the forefront of Latin America's air mobility and delivery solutions sector. As the region's largest provider of these services, OHI caters to diverse customer groups across multiple segments, ensuring seamless and efficient solutions.
Through its subsidiaries Omni Taxi Aéreo in Brazil, Omni Helicopters Guyana Inc., and Omni Helicopters International Mozambique, OHI offers unmatched capability and capacity to serve offshore customers in the fastest growing offshore energy markets. The company's extensive portfolio includes Crew Change, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Firefighting, Search and Rescue operations, as well as highly specialized Cargo and Utility services in remote and challenging locations.
In line with its commitment to innovation and sustainability, OHI has introduced two groundbreaking ventures: OHI Unmanned, a specialist division focusing on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) services, and Revo, a premium advanced air mobility (AAM) solution provider.
About Bell : Thinking above and beyond is what we do. For more than 85 years, we’ve been reimagining the experience of flight – and where it can take us. We are pioneers. We were the first to break the sound barrier and to certify a commercial helicopter. We were a part of NASA’s first lunar mission and brought advanced tiltrotor systems to market. Today, we’re defining the future of advanced air mobility. Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas – as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., – we have strategic locations around the globe. And with nearly one quarter of our workforce having served, helping our military achieve their missions is a passion of ours. Above all, our breakthrough innovations deliver exceptional experiences to our customers. Efficiently. Reliably. And always, with safety at the forefront.
About Textron : Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) 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, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pipistrel, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, and Textron Systems.
Following type certification, Bell will operate the Bell 525 helicopter in collaboration with Omni to undertake a program of offshore mission flights. The helicopter will be loaded to representative mission weights and will be fully integrated into the daily flight planning processes and flight schedule. The helicopter will visit multiple offshore installations in the region and will be loaded, unloaded and refueled routinely to subject it to a sustained trial under actual field conditions.
Danny Maldonado, Chief Commercial Officer, Bell said “We’re honored to be working with Omni to leverage the advanced technology the Bell 525 aircraft will bring to the industry. This program will enable the Bell 525 to demonstrate its performance, capabilities and reliability as the ideal offshore aircraft. The Bell 525 was designed for offshore operations in the oil and gas market, and we’re thrilled to embark on this endeavor to showcase its revolutionary capabilities to the industry.”
Duncan Moore, Group COO at OHI, said “We’re thrilled to have devised this innovative and industry leading program with Bell. Omni is a company that embraces innovation and solves challenges for our customers, and one such challenge facing us is the selection of a future helicopter for medium and long-range offshore missions. We’re confident that the Bell 525 will prove itself in this space, and Omni is delighted to facilitate the opportunity in the highly representative Guyana mission environment. We’re also delighted for our team, and the wider aviation community in Guyana, who will be amongst the first to get exposure to this next generation aircraft”
The operational evaluation will see Bell fly the 525 integrated with the 200 flight per month Omni flying program. Loaded to representative operating weights, the aircraft will undertake the exact same sequences of flights as the live operational fleet in Guyana, exposing it to the intensity and pressures of live commercial line operations.
Special focus will be placed on operational resilience, supply chain robustness and durability when exposed to frequent ground handling activity, both on and offshore. The Bell 525 continues to progress toward FAA certification.
Around 500 hours of flying is planned over a 6-month program.
About Omni Helicopters International: Omni Helicopters International Group (OHI) stands at the forefront of Latin America's air mobility and delivery solutions sector. As the region's largest provider of these services, OHI caters to diverse customer groups across multiple segments, ensuring seamless and efficient solutions.
Through its subsidiaries Omni Taxi Aéreo in Brazil, Omni Helicopters Guyana Inc., and Omni Helicopters International Mozambique, OHI offers unmatched capability and capacity to serve offshore customers in the fastest growing offshore energy markets. The company's extensive portfolio includes Crew Change, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Firefighting, Search and Rescue operations, as well as highly specialized Cargo and Utility services in remote and challenging locations.
In line with its commitment to innovation and sustainability, OHI has introduced two groundbreaking ventures: OHI Unmanned, a specialist division focusing on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) services, and Revo, a premium advanced air mobility (AAM) solution provider.
About Bell : Thinking above and beyond is what we do. For more than 85 years, we’ve been reimagining the experience of flight – and where it can take us. We are pioneers. We were the first to break the sound barrier and to certify a commercial helicopter. We were a part of NASA’s first lunar mission and brought advanced tiltrotor systems to market. Today, we’re defining the future of advanced air mobility. Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas – as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., – we have strategic locations around the globe. And with nearly one quarter of our workforce having served, helping our military achieve their missions is a passion of ours. Above all, our breakthrough innovations deliver exceptional experiences to our customers. Efficiently. Reliably. And always, with safety at the forefront.
About Textron : Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) 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, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pipistrel, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, and Textron Systems.
525 N5251 ( Omni Helicopters Guyana )
Georgetown Ogle Intl Comments | Join community |
| I was always fond of the Bell product, so i wish 525 all the best!! |
| First flight July 2015 - why has it taken so long to get to this stage? Still not certified ! Concorde only took 7 yrs from first flight and entry into service using only slide rules. . |
| Was that the prototype that crashed in the flight trials? That's probably why Stephen - put them back years. |
| Congratulations on Omni Helicopters International for hosting this evaluation! |
| The certification for the Relentless is keenly awaited by the oil & gas sector. It’s may also turn out to be a winner in Corporate VIP market given its projected specs and parameters. Lets see if Bell hits the Bullseye with this one.. |
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525 in
Omni Helicopters Guyana 
Oil and Gas Industry in International 
