Horizon Receives the First of its Bell 505 Helicopters to its Fleet

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 15 December, 2019: Horizon, the Middle East’s largest independent helicopter flight training academy supporting commercial and military operators, has officially announced the delivery of the first of twelve Bell 505 Helicopters to the Horizon International Flight Academy – following last month’s agreement at the Dubai Airshow.

The ceremony was held at Bell’s Mirabel Facility, in the presence of Hareb Thani Al Dhaheri, CEO of Horizon; His Excellency Fahad Saeed Al Raqbani, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Canada; Dr. Fahad Al Yafei, President – Platforms & Systems, EDGE; Steeve Lavoie, President of Bell Helicopter Textron Canada; and Sameer Rehman, Managing Director of Bell – Middle East and Africa.

Al Dhaheri said: “We are delighted to add the Bell 505 Helicopter to our all-Bell fleet that is comprised of Bell 407s and Bell 429s. This new addition will be an essential part of our training operations and will enable us to further expand our training offering.”

For his part, Rehman said: “Bell is proud to support and celebrate today’s delivery with Horizon. The Bell 505 will be a great addition to the Horizon fleet and is an ideal aircraft in training helicopter pilots.”

The new Bell 505 Helicopter will offer exceptional visibility and advanced avionics for future operations, allowing Horizon to continue training a new generation of world-class pilots. With a high-tech flight deck and adaptable cabin design, the Bell 505 is able to take on any challenge, serving as a trusted platform for training operations and enabling first-time pilots to fly with confidence.

Since its inception in 2003, Horizon has been the only flight academy in the Middle East that provides flight training to both commercial and military customers on Bell aircraft. The company is part of the Trading & Mission Support cluster within EDGE, an advanced technology company for defence and beyond, that was inaugurated in November 2019.