Photo courtesy of Bell Helicopter
Bell Helicopter, which has conducted flight testing, research and development at the Arlington Municipal Airport for nearly 50 years, signed another long-term lease with the City this week.
"Bell Helicopter is a world-class company on the forefront of vertical lift. Their decision to remain and reinvest in Arlington does more than just keeping important research and development jobs here or bringing international recognition to our city," Mayor Jeff Williams said. "The company's long-term lease commitment will also help create new investment opportunities for the Arlington Municipal Airport, which Bell Helicopter has called home for nearly five decades."
Earlier this summer, the City Council approved a new ground lease agreement with the company for nearly 54 acres at the airport, located in southeast Arlington. The company's original lease, approved in 1967, was set to expire next April. The primary term for the new lease will be five years, with five additional five-year options.
"Bell Helicopter is pleased to renew our lease with the City of Arlington for our Xworx facility located at the Arlington Municipal Airport. Xworx has long served as a cornerstone for Bell Helicopter's flight testing and research and development operations and we appreciate our partnership with the City," the company said.
The new lease agreement will also bring in additional revenue to help support operations at the Arlington Municipal Airport. Bell Helicopter, which is the largest and longest leaseholder at the airport, was paying just under $69,000 to the City annually under the prior lease but will now pay at least $411,000 per year under the new agreement.
Bell Helicopter supports more than 17,000 jobs in North Texas, generating an estimated $3.9 billion economic impact annually.
"We are very proud of the many Bell Helicopter employees who call Arlington home," Williams said.
The company has used its Arlington site, known as the XworX facility, for a wide range of research and development activities. Bell manufactures commercial and military vertical-lift aircraft and is the pioneer of tiltrotor aircraft. Its V-22 Osprey flew for the first time at the airport and its new 525 "Relentless" helicopter is being tested there now. Bell's parent company is Textron, a Fortune 500 company.
Arlington Municipal Airport
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