The police air unit in Puerto Rico have received two new Bell 429s, after a five day delivery flight which included a two day pause in Florida before heading out over Bermuda, the Turks & Caicos Islands and the Dominican Replublic before landing at Mercedita Airport in Ponce, the fourth largest city in Puerto Rico, and where the air unit is based.

The new aircraft, registered N255PD and N767PD went through a completion program of over seven months, having arrived at Bell’s completion centre in Piney Flats, Tennessee in December 2024.

The law enforcement fleet in Puerto Rico is entirely made up of Bell helicopters.  Aside from four 407s delivered in 2004-5, the new deliveries bring the 429 fleet to five, with the earlier trio delivered in 2013.  The 429s are partly or wholly assigned to FURA (Fuerzas Unidas de Rapida Accion), the Rapid Action unit within the wider Police Department.

Helicopter market intelligence specialists Parapex Media are currently tracking a further twelve 429s at the Bell completion centre in Tennessee.