London’s Air Ambulance Charity (LAAC)—the helicopter emergency medical service for the UK’s capital—has ordered two new Airbus H135 helicopters as part of its fleet renewal contract signed today at the Farnborough International Airshow. The two aircraft will be delivered in 2024 and will operate primarily from LAAC’s helipad base at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel. They are replacing a pair of MD 902 Explorers. LAAC’s advanced trauma team treated 1,713 patients in 2021.
“It’s nearly 35 years since we provided LAAC’s first ever helicopter—a Dauphin—and it will be very satisfying to once again see them flying our helicopters,” said Gary Clark, Airbus Helicopters's head of civil business in the UK.
“We are very impressed with the medical capability that we can pack into the H135,” said Charles Newitt, LACC deputy CEO. “The issue of ground safety is very important to us as we frequently have to operate into physically constrained emergency locations with a constant risk of the public being present. The compact size of the H135 plus its Fenestron tail rotor and high ground clearance are attractive features for us.” The light twin H135 incorporates the Airbus Helionix avionics suite and recently received an alternate gross weight increase approval for an additional 265 pounds of useful load.
LACC began operations in 1989 with a single Airbus SA365N and has since transported more than 43,000 patients. It began as a partnership between Express Newspapers, the Royal London Hospital, and the National Health Service. It operates on an annual budget of $12 million and is supported largely through charitable activities including fundraising events, a lottery, and direct contributions.