Portugal's Avincis Plans to Buy 5 Bell 214ST Helicopters

en.Wedoany.com Reported - European emergency helicopter operator Avincis has signed a letter of intent to purchase 5 Bell 214ST helicopters from Australia's McDermott Aviation, with the delivery schedule not yet disclosed.

Avincis, headquartered in Portugal, plans to use these 8-metric-ton-class twin-engine rotorcraft for firefighting and general utility missions.

The purchase comes amid another difficult year for aerial firefighting operations. With prolonged hot and dry weather across the European continent, Avincis flew a cumulative 12,600 firefighting flight hours in Spain, Portugal, and Italy as of August 31, a 90% increase over 2025.

Avincis stated that the 214ST is highly suitable for firefighting operations, capable of lifting approximately 3,000 kilograms of payload when using a firefighting attack system with a snorkel or bucket. In recent years, McDermott Aviation has used the 214ST to fight fires in Greece.

McDermott owns the majority of the world's remaining Bell 214ST fleet and holds the type certificate for the aircraft. It is currently advancing the restart of production for the type, re-engining with Safran Aneto engines to replace the GE Aerospace CT7 engines. Avincis is purchasing existing aircraft directly from McDermott rather than newly built models, with both companies highlighting their strengthening relationship through this aircraft acquisition.

Avincis CEO John Boag stated that the McDermott 214ST is a highly regarded platform, and these aircraft will enhance the company's ability to allocate resources across its operations to respond to evolving operational demands and wildfire conditions. He added that as demand for aerial firefighting and general utility operations continues to grow, investing in versatile medium-lift aerial assets is crucial to ensuring support is provided where customers need it most.

John McDermott, founder and president of McDermott Aviation, called the agreement for these 5 aircraft a major development for the program, saying the deal reinforces the company's belief that this aircraft type can play a role in firefighting and general utility operations worldwide.

The 214ST is a significant development of the Bell Iroquois (Huey) helicopter series. The aircraft was originally designed to meet the requirements of the Imperial Iranian Air Force, with the program funded by Tehran, but the 1979 Islamic Revolution prevented delivery of these helicopters. As sanctions blocked sales, many of these aircraft eventually entered the commercial market, flying for offshore operators in the North Sea and Gulf of Mexico; others went to Iraq, where several were destroyed by coalition bombing during the 1991 Gulf War. Before the development of the Bell 525, the 214ST was Bell's largest conventional helicopter.