Bell Textron Inc. has delivered the 2,000th Bell 407 to White Saddle Air Services, a family-owned and operated helicopter company based at Bluff Lake, near Tatla Lake, in the Cariboo Chilcotin region of British Columbia. The handover comes nearly three decades after the light single-engine helicopter entered service in the 1990s.

Bell, a Textron Inc. company headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, announced the delivery in a press release dated November 5, 2026. The company said the platform has supported operators worldwide across commercial, utility, corporate and other mission types, and credited the team at its commercial center of excellence in Mirabel, Quebec, which supports production and delivery of the type.

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A light single that has kept evolving

Danny Maldonado, president and CEO of Bell, called the delivery of the 2000th Bell 407 “a tremendous milestone for Bell.” He said it reflects the work of the teams who engineer and build the helicopter and of the customers who fly it.

Bell describes the 407 as a versatile, multi-mission light single-engine helicopter valued for performance, reliability, cabin comfort, visibility and operational flexibility. Its customers include public safety, emergency medical services, utility, corporate transport and specialized mission operators in North America and around the world.

The design has moved through several versions, from the 407GX to the 407GXP and then the 407GXi, which Bell introduced in 2018. The 407GXi carries the Garmin G1000H NXi integrated all-glass flight deck, which Bell says improves situational awareness and navigation and reduces pilot workload.

What the 407GXi offers operators

According to Bell’s January 2025 specification sheet, the 407GXi carries seven occupants in total, with five passengers in club seating in the cabin. It is powered by a Rolls-Royce M250-C47E/4 turboshaft with dual digital full authority digital engine control (FADEC), rated at 674 shaft horsepower for five minutes at takeoff and 630 shaft horsepower maximum continuous.

Bell lists a maximum cruise speed of 136 knots true airspeed at sea level, a range of 350 nautical miles on standard fuel with no reserve, and a loiter endurance of 4.2 hours, each at a weight of 4,000 lb in standard conditions. Maximum internal gross weight is 5,000 lb, or 5,250 lb with an optional kit, and 6,000 lb with an external load. Useful load for the base aircraft is 2,300 lb.

Demand from air medical operators

Bell says the 407GXi is used for helicopter air ambulance services worldwide. On October 28, 2026, at the Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC 2026) in Fort Worth, Bell announced that Global Medical Response (GMR) had placed a purchase order for additional Bell 407GXis for its helicopter air ambulance fleet, a deal AirPro News covered as the latest Global Medical Response order. Textron’s release described GMR as operating the largest Bell helicopter air ambulance fleet, with more than 170 Bell aircraft.

Ted Van Horne, GMR President and Chief Operating Officer, said the 407GXi’s reliability, modern avionics and instrument flight rules (IFR) capability improve safety, mission reliability and patient access in forecasted or unforeseen weather. South Texas nonprofit HALO-Flight also ordered an additional 407GXi at the same conference, growing its IFR-capable fleet to seven.

Where the 407 sits in Bell’s commercial business

Textron’s third-quarter results, published October 29, 2026, show that Bell delivered 29 commercial helicopters in the quarter, compared with 30 in the third quarter of 2025. The release does not break that figure down by model.

Bell’s segment revenue fell 9% to $933 million in the quarter, from $1,026 million a year earlier, and segment profit was $76 million. Textron attributed $59 million of the revenue decline to lower military volume, mainly on the MV-75 program, and $34 million to lower volume and mix in commercial helicopters, parts and services. Bell’s backlog stood at $7.6 billion at the end of the quarter.

Bell said the 407 will continue to evolve and serve customers for years to come. The company did not disclose the configuration of the 2,000th aircraft or the missions White Saddle Air Services will fly with it.

Avolon has finalized its purchase of 140 Boeing 737-10 airplanes, which Boeing describes as a record 737 MAX order by a lessor. The deal brings Avolon’s 737 MAX backlog to more than 240 unfilled orders, according to Boeing, and commits the lessor to the largest member of the 737 MAX family.

Boeing and Avolon announced the agreement in Seattle on November 4, 2026, in a release published on Boeing’s investor relations site. It follows Avolon’s own release of October 8, 2026, in which the lessor reported a firm order for 140 737 MAX aircraft as part of its 250-aircraft Boeing and Airbus order, subject only to approval by the shareholders of Bohai Leasing Co., Ltd., Avolon’s 70% shareholder.

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Why lessors are moving to the 737-10

Boeing set the order against growing lessor demand for the largest 737 MAX variant. According to the release, lessors placed firm orders for more than 230 737-10 airplanes in 2026, five times the lessor backlog for the variant at the end of 2025. Boeing said large single-aisle jets such as the 737-10 are the fastest-growing segment of commercial aviation.

According to the release, the 737-10 lets Avolon meet demand for larger single-aisle jets while drawing on the versatility of the 737 family, which Boeing says has a large customer base and low operating costs.

The manufacturer said the 737-10 offers the best per-seat economics of any single-aisle airplane, with seating for up to 230 passengers and a range of 3,100 nautical miles (5,740 kilometers). AirPro News has also covered Aerolíneas Argentinas’ six 737-10 leases from ACG.

“The 737-10 combines outstanding economics with the capacity airlines increasingly require,” said Andy Cronin, Avolon’s CEO. He said the order strengthens Avolon’s long-term delivery pipeline and its partnership with Boeing.

Brad McMullen, Boeing’s Senior Vice President of Commercial Sales and Marketing, said Avolon’s growing 737 MAX portfolio helps airlines modernize their fleets with lower emissions and operating costs, and that Boeing stands ready to support lessors expanding their single-aisle portfolios.

The 737 in lessor portfolios

Boeing described the 737 as a cornerstone of most lessors’ portfolios, representing about 30% of all financed airplanes. Lessors have ordered more than 1,450 737 MAX airplanes, about 20% of Boeing’s backlog, according to the release. Boeing said projected 4% annual passenger traffic growth over the next 20 years is pushing lessors to broaden their single-aisle offerings.

The release does not give delivery dates for the 140 aircraft or name the airlines that will lease them.

Where the order sits in Avolon’s fleet plan

In its October 8 release, Avolon said it had placed firm orders for 250 new-technology aircraft: 140 737 MAX aircraft from Boeing and 110 aircraft from Airbus, made up of 75 A320neo family and 35 A330neo family aircraft, with options for a further 100 aircraft. The orders raised Avolon’s total firm aircraft commitments to 749 aircraft, and the lessor said they support the long-term fleet requirements of its airline customers.

The same release carried Avolon’s third-quarter 2026 update. The lessor acquired 10 aircraft and sold 29 in the quarter, with 112 more agreed for sale at quarter-end. It placed 28 new-technology aircraft from its commitments, leaving 89% of its committed fleet placed for the next 24 months, and executed 84 lease agreements, extensions and amendments.

Avolon ended the quarter with an owned, managed and committed fleet of 1,092 aircraft as of September 30, 2026, or 1,342 pro forma for the new orders. It also established a US$1.5 billion commercial paper programme and closed a US$855 million unsecured term loan with a syndicate of primarily Asian banks. The company says it works with 138 airlines in 62 countries.

Cronin said in October that Avolon was seeing strong demand for new-technology aircraft, reflected in its third-quarter placement and trading activity, and that the orders would enhance its ability to support airlines renewing and expanding their fleets. The Boeing order lands days after Avolon’s Constellation Aviation launch.

Eve Air Mobility and advanced air mobility startup FlyBIS Aviation Limited have signed a binding agreement for up to 12 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, made up of two firm orders and purchase rights for ten more. The deal builds on a 2022 letter of intent that covered up to 40 aircraft, and is aimed at routes in Southern Brazil.

The companies announced the agreement in a press release dated November 4, 2026, from Melbourne, Florida, published on the Embraer media center. According to the release, FlyBIS plans to deploy Eve’s eVTOL in Southern Brazil, initially linking destinations in the states of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. The release does not disclose the value of the order or a delivery schedule.

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The routes FlyBIS has in mind

The release names potential routes on the Santa Catarina coast, including Navegantes, Balneário Camboriú and Florianópolis, as well as tourism destinations in the mountain region of Rio Grande do Sul, including Gramado and Bento Gonçalves.

“This binding agreement is an important step in our relationship with FlyBIS,” said Johann Bordais, Chief Executive Officer of Eve. Bordais said Southern Brazil has high demand for urban air mobility connections because of its tourism and business activity.

“Signing this binding agreement represents a significant milestone for FlyBIS,” said Gustavo Zanettini, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of FlyBIS. He cited Eve’s combination of aircraft, services and operational support as a strong foundation.

The two companies will keep working on the requirements for entry into service, including network planning, operational readiness, infrastructure and the integration of eVTOL services into the wider transportation system, according to the release. FlyBIS is also launching a strategic fundraising round to fund fleet acquisition, strategic partnerships and network expansion, the release says.

From a 40-aircraft letter of intent to two firm orders

Eve and FlyBIS first announced their partnership on December 8, 2022. In that release, Eve said it had signed a letter of intent with FlyBIS, which it described as an advanced air mobility startup based in Caxias do Sul, in southern Brazil, covering eVTOL operations in Brazil and South America and the purchase of up to 40 Eve eVTOL vehicles. FlyBIS was backed by Brave Aviation, whose fleet includes the Embraer Phenom 100, and said at the time that it aimed to deliver advanced air mobility (AAM) services to Brazil’s southern states as early as 2026.

The binding agreement covers up to 12 aircraft, against up to 40 in the 2022 letter of intent, and the November release does not say whether the rest of the earlier letter of intent remains in place. In the 2022 announcement, Eve said the FlyBIS aircraft were included in an order backlog of up to 2,770 eVTOLs. At the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2026, Eve gave its pre-order book as approximately 2,700 eVTOLs and listed two binding agreements with pre-delivery payments: up to 50 aircraft for Revo in Brazil and up to 50 aircraft for AirX in Japan, with AirX’s initial deployment in sightseeing and last-mile mobility beginning in 2029. The November release does not say whether the FlyBIS order includes pre-delivery payments.

Eve’s November release calls Brazil one of its most important markets, with two operators already committed and several others interested. AirPro News reported on Eve’s other 2026 commitments, including the Shearwater leasing letter of intent signed at Farnborough.

Where Eve’s flight test program stands

According to the November 4 release, Eve’s full-scale engineering prototype has completed more than 70 flights, including hover and low-speed phases. Transition-flight testing is progressing, including in-flight activation of the rear pusher propulsion system, as the aircraft moves toward wing-borne flight. AirPro News covered the first in-flight activation of the pusher propeller in August.

In its July 2026 release, Eve said the engineering prototype first flew in December 2025, that partial transition flights were planned for the summer with full transitions later in the year, and that production of six conforming prototypes would begin later in 2026.

On the regulatory side, the November release says that in September 2026, Brazil’s Ministry of Ports and Airports convened aviation authorities, government representatives and Eve to discuss certification, vertiport infrastructure, energy supply, operational safety, telecommunications and airspace integration. Eve, which says it is backed by Embraer’s 57-year aerospace history, is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (EVEX) and the São Paulo Stock Exchange (EVEB31).