Bell Helicopter Announces Able Aerospace Services as New Service Center

Bell Helicopter Announces Able Aerospace Services as New Service Center

HAI HELI-EXPO – Louisville, Kentucky (March 2, 2016) – Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, today announced Able Aerospace Services, located in Mesa, Arizona, as Bell Helicopter’s newest Service Center.

Recently acquired by Textron Aviation, Able provides component repairs, component exchanges and replacement parts, among other support and service offerings for commercial rotorcraft and fixed-wing aircraft customers around the world. This industry leading expertise, combined with Able’s large inventory of core products, helps aircraft operators and fleet owners of all sizes to safely reduce their operating costs.

“Bell Helicopter has been laser focused on enhancing our aftermarket business to reduce customer operating costs and downtime,” said Glenn Isbell, executive vice president, Customer Support and Services at Bell Helicopter. “Bringing on Able as a Bell Helicopter Service Center reinforces our commitment to delivering strategic, safe and reliable solutions. We are working to take advantage of industry developed repair options for customers, and we believe Able will bring tremendous benefit to our current and future customers.”

"Able's mission of safely reducing aircraft operating costs by providing resourceful component repair, overhaul and approved replacement parts solutions is now significantly enhanced by becoming a Bell Helicopter Service Center," said Lee Benson, chief executive officer, Able Aerospace Services.  "By combining the resources and capabilities of Bell Helicopter and Able, we are now positioned to bring much greater total value to our customers."

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(Bell Helicopter announces Able Aerospace Services as newest Service Center at HAI Heli-Expo 2016. From left to right: Glenn Isbell, executive vice president, Customer Support and Services at Bell Helicopter and Lee Benson, chief executive officer, Able Aerospace Services)

As a Bell Helicopter Service Center, Able will be part of the largest support network in the industry which offers customers access to more than one hundred Bell Helicopter Service Centers, or Bell Helicopter Authorized Customer Service Facilities, in 34 countries. Ranked number one by customers for more than 22 consecutive years, Bell Helicopter is committed to having resources where customers operate to speed up delivery of service and support, and give customers access to resources that are easy to reach, know the operating environment and understand their needs.

Since 1982, Able has helped aircraft operators and fleet owners safely reduce operating costs by providing resourceful solutions. More than 20 years after opening their doors, Able continues to expand their capabilities, delivering tremendous value for aircraft parts and maintenance, reducing critical lead times and improving overall aircraft availability.

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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. 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. For more information, visit: www.textron.com.

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements which may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, changes in aircraft delivery schedules or cancellations or deferrals of orders; our ability to keep pace with our competitors in the introduction of new products and upgrades with features and technologies desired by our customers; changes in government regulations or policies on the export and import of our products; volatility in the global economy or changes in worldwide political conditions that adversely impact demand for our products; volatility in interest rates or foreign exchange rates; and risks related to our international business, including establishing and maintaining facilities in locations around the world and relying on joint venture partners, subcontractors, suppliers, representatives, consultants and other business partners in connection with international business, including in emerging market countries.