UK-based Bond Air Services has been awarded a seven-year contract by North West Air Ambulance, worth over $15 million, to provide air ambulance support across five counties in north west England. Bond's operational bases will be Blackpool airport and City airport Manchester, with aircraft, crew and maintenance support. The service will cover the counties of Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside – an area of more than 5,500 square miles with a population of approximately eight million people.

Bond has operated HEMS for NWAA since the charity was founded in 1999, and this contract renewal strengthens that partnership. NWAA now operates two EC135s provided by Bond, which says it is the largest operator of air ambulance aircraft in the UK.

Bond md Chris Greenhill says: “For 14 years Bond has helped the charity provide vital life-saving services for people in the region. We look forward to continuing our partnership with them and enhancing the service we offer.

“We have always enjoyed a close yet formal and professional relationship with the ambulance service as we work together to develop the critical service we provide. This will include looking at increased hours of operation and increased medical capability for the aircraft.

“We currently fly approximately 1,600 missions a year from both bases. Each is allocated two pilots and one engineer, with backup resources available to cover sickness and leave. A backup air ambulance is provided for scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, all of which enables us to provide customers with an average service availability of 98 per cent across our fleet.”

Greenhill speaks of the additional infrastructure that will be put in place to support the service: “We are currently looking at an option to introduce a third aircraft this year to provide increased support to the region. We are working closely with NWAA to set up forward operating bases, to be used on a daily basis, at certain hospitals within the region.

He adds: “The charity is also reviewing the use of doctors as part of the crew on both aircraft. Currently one of the two aircraft is crewed by a paramedic and doctor.”

The EC135 is particularly suited to its purpose, as Greenhill explains: “The EC135 is the most utilised light twin helicopter for emergency services on a worldwide basis, with its high levels of reliability, spacious cabin, skidded undercarriage, high main rotor and enclosed tail rotor. The EC135 makes an ideal aircraft for air ambulance and HEMS operations.” He also reveals that the use of the aircraft for night retrievals is one area currently under review.