Bell Textron said a dedicated Bell 505 has accumulated more than 700 flight hours using blended sustainable aviation fuel as part of an ongoing effort with Safran Helicopter Engines. The company announced the milestone at European Rotors 2025, noting the aircraft has been operating on SAF at the Bell Training Academy since mid-2022. The program builds on work that began in 2022, when Bell and Safran launched a study of technical and economic factors tied to SAF use on the Bell 505 and its Arrius 2R engine.

According to Bell, the aircraft later became the first single-engine helicopter to fly on 100 percent SAF during a demonstration flight in early 2023. Since then, engine operability checks, aircraft performance reviews and inspection results have continued as part of the evaluation.

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