Powys: Wales Air Ambulance begins new helicopter partnership

Gama Aviation has officially begun its contract with the charity which has one of its four bases in Welshpool.

The announcement of the new contract was made in February and was made following “an extensive 18-month procurement process which included input from both aviation and medical professionals”.

The Gama Aviation contract, valued at £65 million, covers the operation and maintenance of a primary fleet of four Airbus H145 helicopters, operating from the Charity’s current sites in Dafen, Cardiff, Caernarfon and Welshpool.

The new contract includes a backup H145 helicopter to ensure service continuity during periods of maintenance for the primary fleet. 

According to the Charity, “this will be an enhancement compared to the previous fleet, which was made up of three H145 helicopters and one smaller EC135 helicopter.”

“As part of the new contract, the EC135 aircraft has been replaced with a H145, giving the Charity a consistent fleet of advanced helicopters to deliver Wales’ vital air ambulance service.”

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David Gilbert, Wales Air Ambulance Chair of Trustees, said: “This has been a complex 12-month transition process and I would like to thank all those involved – our outgoing and incoming aviation partners and our medical partners the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service.

“We are also pleased to see that a majority of the pilots and engineers who worked with Wales Air Ambulance as part of the previous contract, will be joining Gama Aviation to continue working with our lifesaving service. It just goes to show how passionate they are about serving Wales and saving lives.

“Gama Aviation is a forward-thinking and ambitious company and we look forward to working with them in the years to come. We would also like to thank our outgoing aviation provider for their support of the service over the past seven years.”

Marwan Khalek, Gama Aviation Plc Chief Executive Officer, said: “We have worked hard with all stakeholders to transition the aviation service and I’m delighted that we are able to take up our responsibilities to the Charity and the people of Wales, earlier than scheduled.“As we bring the service online in a safe, orderly fashion I’m sure many will notice suitable differences. Whether it is the new aircraft livery, with its proud depiction of the Charity’s strong Welsh identity, or new pilot flight suits, that use a combination of red and black to aid identification at the scene of an incident.

"We will continue to explore ways to support Wales Air Ambulance’s lifesaving mission.”

The aviation transition comes during an independent review of the Charity’s NHS medical partners, EMRTS, which is being undertaken by the Chief Ambulance Services Commissioner Stephen Harrhy.

This has been reflected in the new aviation contract, which can adapt to potential future service delivery changes if required such as revised base locations, revised operational hours, enhanced after-dark flying.