Yorkshire Air Ambulance orders second new helicopter

The charity announced the replacement of their oldest MD902 Explorer aircraft, G-SASH, last summer, but plans for a second Airbus H145 model to replace the other MD902 Explorer, G-CEMS, have now been brought forward.

The existing helicopters are ageing and some replacements parts are becoming more difficult to get.

One new helicopter will be operational later this year and the second will take to the skies in Spring, 2017.

YAA Vice-Chairman, Bruce Burns, said: “We are beginning to see growing number of maintenance issues with our current ageing MD902 Explorers as well as encountering mounting issues with obtaining spare parts.

“This is resulting in ever increasing costs of maintaining them both. Over the last couple of years we have encountered record spending on maintenance and this has been one of the major contributing factors in our decision to purchase not just one new helicopter, but two.”

Both helicopters will be able to fly at night, extending the number of hours they will be available for life saving missions.