China’s police, sightseeing firms snap up Bell helicopters despite safety fears

A range of public and private-sector Chinese buyers have acquired a total of 44 small-model Bell helicopters, often for sightseeing and corporate travel. This makes China the vendor’s second biggest market in the Asia-Pacific, with growing demand for more despite safety concerns surrounding rotary-wing aircraft, an aviation services firm said.

China lagged behind only South Korea in the total number of five-seat Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopters, according to a statement by the Hong Kong-based Asian Sky Group.

Its manufacturer, Texas-based Bell, was the world’s second biggest brand of turbine helicopters in 2024 to 2025 after Airbus, the Rotortrade dealership said in an annual industry report. The model launched in 2014 has sold a total of 700 worldwide.

Customers in China include police agencies, corporations and operators of aerial sightseeing trips, Asian Sky Group consultancy services director Dennis Lau said.

In its statement, Asian Sky Group said the helicopters had been “deployed on a variety of missions” in China.

The 505 model is now used in China mostly for tourism and sightseeing, but customers increasingly want to carry out “utility” missions, Bell’s China country manager Liam Zhu said. Utility refers to flights for transport, infrastructure support or public safety. Its use is “expanding beyond tourism” now into agricultural and forestry operations, Zhu added.

Most South Korea-based Jet Ranger X helicopters were operated by the armed forces in “training and utility roles”, according to the company’s statement.

Helicopter purchases in China show a continued interest in private aircraft as a soft economy tempers the use of business jets.

The number of business jets in mainland China fell to 243 in 2025, from 249 in 2024 and 270 in 2023, Asian Sky Group has previously said.

China’s ultra-wealthy are parking their jets offshore to sidestep tougher compliance rules at home, while corporate executives are downgrading to commercial flights, according to analysts. Safety remains a latent concern across helicopter brands, Lau added.

Most recorded Bell accidents globally were due to pilot errors, training, collisions or weather problems rather than mechanical issues, US Federal Aviation Administration-approved pilot examiner Dave Dziura indicated in an analysis on the consultancy SafeRotors’ website.

However, helicopters in general fly at a higher risk of accidents compared to fixed-wing aircraft. At least two sightseeing helicopters have crashed in China since 2023 as general aviation increases.

Demand for the Jet Ranger X has been growing in China among customers who can pay the “entry-level” price, Lau said.

The Bell helicopters often sold for less in China than a comparable model made by Airbus, he added.

Lau said many buyers would see the Jet Ranger X as a “step up” from Robinson-brand helicopter models that were also common in the country for civilian use. The Bell model had more power and a larger cabin.