Jessica Reed is a writer and editor with AIN. She joined the team in the fall of 2023 after two years covering the aviation industry at Avionics International. She earned her bachelor&#039;s degree in English (Writing &amp; Rhetoric) from Pepperdine University. Her hometown is St. Louis, Missouri, and she since has resided in Santa Barbara, California, and Brooklyn, New York, among others. She is currently based in Philadelphia.

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Textron rotorcraft-manufacturing subsidiary Bell posted significant revenue growth in the first quarter, with revenues reaching $983 million, a 35% increase from the same period last year, driven by strong performance in both military and commercial sectors.
“We had a very big increase, obviously, on a Q1-to-Q1 basis,” Textron chairman and CEO Scott Donnelly said during an earnings call on Thursday. “We did have very strong performance in terms of deliveries on the commercial helicopter side, but we also had a very large increase on the FLRAA [Future Long Range Assault Aircraft] program.”
Bell delivered 29 commercial helicopters in the quarter, up significantly from 18 in the same period last year. This included twelve 505s, eleven 407s, three 429s, and three 412s, showing growth across most models compared with the first quarter of 2024, when twelve 505s, four 407s, one 429, and one 412 were delivered.
Military shipments included two V-22 Ospreys and no H-1s in the first quarter of 2025. In last year’s first quarter, no V-22s were delivered, but two H-1s were handed over.
The revenue increase was driven by higher military revenues of $154 million, primarily due to increased volume from the U.S. Army’s FLRAA program and military sustainment programs. Commercial revenues rose by $102 million.
“Q1 was sort of still early in the program; obviously, we’re full run at this point,” Donnelly explained regarding FLRAA. “It’s not only our internal level of activity, but a lot more suppliers on board as we’re starting to issue drawings and get things on purchase authorizations and actually start to build first parts in many cases.”
Bell’s segment profit rose to $90 million, up $10 million from the first quarter of 2024, primarily due to higher volume and the products and services mix. The company’s backlog at the end of the quarter stood at $7.1 billion, an increase from $4.8 billion at the end of 2023.
Looking ahead, Donnelly expressed confidence in Bell's continued growth. “If you look at FLRAA on a year-over-year basis, it’s probably going to be up 20% or so,” he said. “So it will be a contributor through the course of the year. I think the margins are roughly in line with where we guided.”
Despite concerns about margin pressure from the FLRAA program expressed in previous quarters, Donnelly was optimistic about the balance of the year. “I think that’ll be relatively consistent through the course of the year, as we see a large mix of the FLRAA program driving a lot of the growth.”
During the quarter, Bell announced a purchase agreement with Air Methods for 15 IFR-configured 407GXis, with an option for 12 additional aircraft. Deliveries are expected to begin later this year. Bell was also awarded a contract for five additional CMV-22 aircraft, extending production through 2027.
When asked about the demand environment for commercial helicopters, Donnelly noted, “On the Bell commercial side, the demand is solid. Our order activity is good. It’s across pretty much all of our models, all of our product lines, everything from the 505 up through the 412s. We have our initial 525s booked.”
He added that Bell recently “signed a deal with Omni to get 525 out onto their routes,” and expressed confidence in demand “across pretty much all of the helicopter product lines” from various sectors, including paramilitary, border patrol, medical, and oil and gas.
Military sustainment programs also contributed to Bell’s strong performance. “It is the (so-called) legacy platform, so H1 and V22,” Donnelly explained. “We continue to have ongoing contracting activity with parts, with PBLs, and things of that nature.”
While noting that sustainment can be “a little bit lumpy” due to contracting timelines, Donnelly expects this business to continue. “These aircraft are flown every day, and they generate a lot of aftermarket demand, and we expect to continue to support that for many, many years to come.”

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