Midlands Air Ambulance Service has reported that they are on schedule with their project to upgrade their fleet. The charity is investing in a new H145 helicopter that will enable them to save more lives in their air ambulance operations. If everything goes as planned, the new helicopter will be joining their charity’s existing fleet in January 2018.
New Helicopter Already Made First Flight
Although the new helicopter hasn’t yet joined the fleet, it has already made its first flight in early October. It was built at the Airbus headquarters located in Donauworth, Germany. The flight was made to the U.K. so it could undergo equipment fit-out, which took place at the headquarters of Babcock Missions Critical Services in Staverton, Gloucestershire.
Babcock Missions Critical Services is the aviation partner of Midlands Air Ambulance Service. According to the charity’s chief executive Hanna Sebright, the state-of-the-art helicopter is on schedule. They made the decision to invest in a larger helicopter, which cost them £7 million, so that they can continue to provide exceptional pre-hospital care to patients in need.
Sebright also said that the charity was able to make the purchase with the help of ongoing support from the public. They also received a grant worth £1 million from banking fines. By making this investment, the charity hopes to reduce their overall operational costs and improve their sustainability.
New Air Ambulance Service Helicopter to be Based in Shropshire
The new helicopter for Midlands Air Ambulance is registered as G-RMAA and will be operated from the charity’s base in Shropshire. As of now, the charity owns an EC135 helicopter. It also leases two other EC135 helicopters from BMCS. The charity will continue to lease one of the helicopters while the other will be replaced by the new G-RMAA.
