Bell’s manufacturing and day-to-day operations have avoided disruption by the coronavirus, a company spokesperson told Helicopter Investor.
The development of the Coronavirus pandemic, also known as Covid-19, has so far not impacted the Texas-based OEM’s day-to-day business. But the company is monitoring the situation and affirms the health and safety of its employees is of upmost priority.
“Bell’s top priority is the health and safety of our employees. We’re staying vigilant and closely monitoring the situation and its impact worldwide. Our facilities are operating on their regular schedules, without any disruption to our manufacturing and operations.
“The health and safety of our employees is of utmost priority to our company. Bell has established preventive measure in accordance with CDC [Centres for Disease Control and Prevention] and WHO [World Health Organization] guidelines for employers and continues to provide all the necessary information to our workforce and customers.”
According to CDC figures, there are 67 reported coronavirus cases in Texas – a state with a population of more than 28m.
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A similar view is taken by fellow US helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky. It also claims its operations and supply chain are currently unaffected by the coronavirus.
Across the Atlantic however, European helicopter manufacturers Leonardo and Airbus are taking more stringent measures to protect employees from the virus as the number of cases climbs drastically in Italy and France. Both companies paused production this week to sanitise their production facilities and implement new health and safety measures.
