Avincis to add five Bell 214ST helicopters under McDermott Aviation deal

Avincis has signed a letter of intent to buy five Bell 214ST medium-twin helicopters from McDermott Aviation of Australia, the company said. The Lisbon-headquartered operator will use them for firefighting and utility work worldwide.

The helicopters come from McDermott's existing inventory, not new production. McDermott has held the type certificate for the 214ST and the related 214B since 2023 and is working to restart manufacturing of the type, with Safran Helicopter Engines Aneto powerplants replacing the standard GE Aerospace CT7 engines.

No delivery timeline or transaction value was given.

Avincis said the purchase follows rising demand for its aerial firefighting capacity. In the eight months to 31 August, the company logged more than 12,600 firefighting flight hours, up almost 90% from the same point a year earlier.

According to the company, the 214ST has a useful load of up to 3,000kg and a maximum external hook load of 3,580kg. It offers up to 4.1 hours of endurance, a cruise speed of 120kt and is certificated to carry as many as 18 passengers. Beyond water dropping, the type can move crews and equipment or fly utility missions outside the fire season.

Group chief executive John Boag said demand for aerial firefighting and utility operations keeps growing, making medium-lift aircraft a key investment. He said the 214ST's lift, endurance and hot-and-high performance would strengthen the company's rotary-wing response, while its utility capability would allow wider deployment across missions.