The air ambulance service is getting new propeller aircraft and a jet plane
From 2019, the air ambulance service in Norway will receive new aircraft at all seven bases. In addition, the aircraft fleet is enhanced with a jet plane.
The new operating agreement has been approved by the regional health authorities and means that the nearly 10 year old ambulance flights, which annually fly about 9,000 patients to and from Norwegian hospitals, were exchanged with brand new aircraft.
The new short-runway aircraft are of the Beechcraft King Air 250 type and are a further development of today’s ambulance aircraft type 200. In addition to being faster and more efficient, the aircraft are provided with new navigation and access equipment that will provide increased safety both for Patients and crew.
Jet plane to be stationed at Gardrmoen outside Oslo
In addition, the ambulance fleet is reinforced with a medium-sized jet plane. The plane is of the Cessna Citation Latitude type and has large cabin and load capacity, as well as long range. The jet plane will be stationed at Gardermoen.
– The jet plane will carry patients who need a lot of heavy and bulky equipment and more care personell with them to and from the major hospitals. For example, there are children in incubators or patients who must be kept artificially alive. Range and speed also means that we can fly patients from Svalbard directly to hospitals throughout Norway for special treatment, says medical adviser in the Air Ambulance service, Pål Madsen.
Health North carries two-thirds of the cost of the entire Norwegian ambulance service, and has not found money to deploy a jet also in Tromsø, although it is considered a need for this.
It is the Swedish air ambulance company Babcock Scandinavian Air Ambulance AB, which will operate the planes on behalf of the health regions when the contract period enters into force on 1 July 2019. It will last until 2025, with the option of another five years extension.
© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today
