Jet Aviation has handed over the last of five customised Bell 407GXi single-engined helicopters to Nautilus Aviation, a charter, utility and tourism flight operator in northern Australia.
Based in Cairns, Queensland, Nautilus specified upgrades to the baseline rotorcraft, including air conditioning, emergency floats and locator transmitters.
The changes were designed to support a wide range of missions, including transporting charter and tourism passengers, and utility and support work such as flood-relief efforts and fire-fighting.
“One of our primary reasons for selecting the Bell 407GXi as the flagship of our fleet was the versatility of the airframe and the upgrades made to enhance both customer and pilot experiences,” says Aaron Finn, Nautilus chief executive.
Aircraft modifications were carried out by Jet Aviation Bankstown in New South Wales; Jet Aviation – a Bell authorised representative in Australia – also sold the helicopters.
Jet delivered the first 407GXi to Nautilus in late 2022. It says it has handed over a total of 13 new Bell helicopters in Australia and New Zealand over the past year.
