STAT MedEvac, a major air medical transport service provider, has ordered two H135-series (formerly EC135) helicopters from Airbus Helicopters Inc. to replace older aircraft. The announcement was made Tuesday at the Air Medical Transport Conference in Long Beach, Calif.
STAT MedEvac provides air medical transport services to residents of much of western Pennsylvania and operates some 10,000 missions a year with a fleet of 20 helicopters, including 14 EC135s and six EC145s. The new helicopters ordered will be used to replace older aircraft.
“We’re very pleased that the STAT MedEvac leadership has shown its continued trust and confidence in Airbus Helicopters products and service,” said Treg Manning, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Airbus Helicopters Inc. “It is gratifying for all of us at Airbus Helicopters Inc. that we have earned the loyalty of STAT MedEvac, an air medical operator with an outstanding reputation for safety and high quality.”
“As we upgrade our helicopters, we always thoroughly evaluate the aircraft available,” said Doug Garretson, President and Chief Executive Officer of STAT MedEvac. “We chose the EC135s and the EC145s from Airbus Helicopters. It comes down to product performance and support. They currently are the best products for our missions and the team at Airbus Helicopters Inc. works with us to help ensure that our aircraft are available to meet the needs of our crews and our customers.”
“We have standardized on the EC135 and EC145 platforms because they are the products that best meet our needs and because of the additional efficiencies we have been able to establish,” said Garretson. “Using a common helicopter platform allows us to effectively manage our fleet’s maintenance program. We are also able to cross-train all of our pilots on both aircraft, which helps ensure maximum flexibility in scheduling and personnel availability.”
STAT MedEvac was the first helicopter and HEMS FAA Part 135 air carrier accepted into the FAA’s Aviation Safety Action Program. STAT’s fleet operates from 17 bases in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. These regional bases link rural and community health resources with advanced tertiary care centers and provide quick access to advanced care. STAT MedEvac is a service of the not-for-profit Center for Emergency Medicine of Western Pennsylvania, Inc.
More than 1,200 versions of the H135/EC135 family are in operation globally and have accumulated a total of more than three million flight hours. The model is a worldwide favorite of air medical transport services. Earlier versions can be fully retrofitted to bring them up to the technical level of the H135, the newest model in the family.
