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Avincis

Aeromedical Services

Press Release

Issued by Avincis.

June 29, 2017

Babcock Scandinavian Air Ambulance selected to operate new aircraft fleet for Norwegian health service

Babcock Scandinavian Air Ambulance (SAA) has been awarded a new contract by the Norwegian government to provide communities across Norway with vital air ambulance support.

The six-year deal, with options to extend to 11 years, has a value of around GBP500 million. It will see Babcock operate 11 specialist fixed-wing aircraft, including a Citation Latitude jet, giving thousands of patients, particularly those in the north of the country, critical access to specialist healthcare centres nationwide.

The aircraft, which will become operational when the contract commences in 2019, will each be fitted out with custom-designed medical interiors, featuring hospital-standard equipment. They will form a key part of Norway's overall healthcare infrastructure, where hospitals are increasingly developing specialist skills and capabilities for particular areas of treatment.

The introduction of a jet aircraft is a new development for the service and will dramatically reduce patient transfer times, allowing for direct patient flights across the whole of the country for the first time.

Babcock predicts the contract will create or sustain up to 100 jobs across seven Norwegian air bases; five in the north of the country, one of the west coast and one in Oslo.

Marius Hansen from Babcock Scandinavian Air Ambulance said: “We are proud to have been selected to deliver this critical aspect of Norway's healthcare infrastructure. As hospitals become specialised centres of medical excellence it is more important than ever to have a trusted system in place to transport patients swiftly and safely, with expert care, to where they can receive the best possible medical attention.

“This contract comes with a tremendous responsibility and will draw on the years of experience we have in delivering critical patient air ambulance care across Scandinavia.”

The geography of the north of Norway, and in particular the archipelago of Svalbard, means a fleet of fixed-wing aircraft are best suited to provide fast and efficient patient transport.

Mr Hansen added: “By introducing a jet for the first time we will dramatically reduce the time it will take to transport patients to the right hospitals. It is not only faster in flight, but it has improved range, too. This means we can provide direct flights for the first time, dramatically reducing the time it takes to move a patient to a specialist care unit, no matter where in the country they are."

Babcock has extensive experience of running helicopter emergency services (HEMS) across countries including Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Finland as well as Australia and the UK.

Babcock's fleet of over 330 emergency service aircraft, operated by highly experienced crews and supported by skilled staff, executes around 90,000 missions each year, providing critical air ambulance, search and rescue, firefighting, police and civil protection services. The group also operates over 50 helicopters serving the oil and gas sector.