Global Medical Response and Bell leadership meet in Fort Worth, sign purchase agreement for seven Bell 429s with the option to purchase an additional eight
Fort Worth, Texas (September 8, 2025) - Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced that Global Medical Response (GMR) has signed a purchase agreement for seven Bell 429s with the option to purchase an additional eight, maintaining its spot as the world’s largest Bell helicopter operator in the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) field. Global Medical Response, headquartered in Lewisville, Texas, has 381 operational bases across all 50 U.S. states and internationally, and provides life-saving care as the largest end-to-end provider of acute out-of-hospital patient care.
“Bell is proud to continue our work with Global Medical Response as they expand their HEMS fleet operations with their first Bell 429,” shared Lane Evans, managing director of North America, Bell. “The Bell 429 is an incredible platform that was designed with HEMS operators in mind. We believe that the Bell 429 will be a true asset for the Global Medical Response team supporting their critical missions.”
As a platform built for rapid response, the Bell 429’s BasixPro intuitive displays and wide clamshell doors make it an ideal aircraft of choice for HEMS operators. This dual-engine aircraft offers a fast cruise speed of 150 knots, allowing Global Medical Response to be on scene for urgent calls or interfacility transport when minutes matter. With more than 500 Bell 429s globally and over 735,000 global flight hours, the platform continues to build its reputation as one of the most advanced light twin helicopters in its class.
“Adding the Bell 429 to our fleet will allow us to expand access to care to patients who need it,” said Daniel Sweeza, national president of air operations for Global Medical Response. “It also allows us to meet the requests of our healthcare partners, who have been asking for the flexibility the Bell 429 provides. We’re excited to add this airframe to our GMR communities starting in the spring of 2026.”
This announcement comes after Bell announced the delivery of Global Medical Response’s first IFR-configured Bell 407GXi, marking the first of 24 anticipated aircraft deliveries to the air medical service operator. In total, Global Medical Response and its affiliates currently use the Bell 407 and Bell 206L platforms to serve local communities in need of emergency care.
Bell remains a trusted partner for HEMS operators across the globe. To find out more about how the Bell 429 advances missions worldwide, please visit the Bell product page.
ABOUT BELL
Thinking above and beyond is what we do. For more than 90 years, we’ve been reimagining the experience of flight – and where it can take us.
We are pioneers. We were the first to break the sound barrier and to certify a commercial helicopter. We were a part of NASA’s first lunar mission and brought advanced tiltrotor systems to market. Today, we’re defining the future of advanced air mobility.
Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas – as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., – we have strategic locations around the globe. And with nearly one quarter of our workforce having served, helping our military achieve their missions is a passion of ours.
Above all, our breakthrough innovations deliver exceptional experiences to our customers. Efficiently. Reliably. And always, with safety at the forefront.
ABOUT TEXTRON INC.
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pipistrel, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, and Textron Systems. For more information, visit: www.textron.com.
About Global Medical Response
Global Medical Response is the largest air and ground emergency medical service provider in the United States. With nearly 34,000 team members, the organization reaches 62% of the U.S. population, providing emergency medical care to 5.5 million patients annually and performing a critical intervention every 91 seconds. For over two decades, GMR’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) has partnered with FEMA, DHS, HHS, state agencies, and private partners to deliver rapid, life-saving services during large-scale disasters, acts of terrorism, and public health emergencies, deploying over 80 times across all 10 FEMA regions. Its family of solutions includes ambulance EMS provider American Medical Response (AMR), as well as multiple air EMS organizations including Air Evac Lifeteam, REACH Air Medical Services,Guardian Flight, Med-Trans Corporation, and AirMed International. For additional information, visit GMR at www.globalmedicalresponse.com, or on Facebook and LinkedIn
READ MORE ROTOR PRO: https://justhelicopters.com/Magazine
WATCH ROTOR PRO YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://buff.ly/3Md0T3y
You can also find us on
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rotorpro1
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rotorpro1
Twitter - https://twitter.com/justhelicopters
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/rotorpro1