Switzerland-based air rescue service Rega has ordered 12 more five-bladed Airbus H145 light, twin-engine helicopters to replace its fleet of AW109SPs. This order follows an initial contract for nine H145s, announced in March.
By 2026, Rega—which operates 14 helicopter emergency medical service stations in Switzerland—will operate an all-Airbus fleet consisting of 21 five-bladed H145s. Last year, its helicopter crews carried out 14,330 missions, including transporting 471 Covid patients. “By selecting the five-bladed H145, we are ensuring that Rega will continue being able to provide its patients with reliable and professional medical assistance by air for the next 15 years,” said Rega CEO Ernst Kohler.
Rega’s helicopters will be custom-configured with a Garmin GTN750 Xi flight management system which integrates and controls a multi-sensor system that provides highly accurate navigation, backed up by a Thales inertial navigation system—enabling operations in low IFR conditions down to the very limited visibility standard of RNP-AR 0.1. The H145s also will be fitted with the Vincorion hoist system.
The five-bladed H145 features a useful load increase of 330 pounds and a bearingless main rotor design. Powered by two Safran Arriel 2E engines, the H145 is equipped with full authority digital engine control and the Helionix digital avionics suite, and includes a 4-axis autopilot.
More than 1,600 H145 family helicopters are in service that together, have logged more than seven million flight hours.