Memorial Hermann Life Flight has placed orders for one H160 and four H145s to replace its current fleet of EC145 helicopters. The emergency medical services programme will be the first in the world to operate the H160 for HEMS.

Memorial Hermann Life Flight was founded in 1976 by trauma surgeon James ‘Red’ Duke and serves the community within a 150-mile radius of the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas. It has exclusively relied on Airbus Helicopters since its inception and has flown more than 166,000 lifesaving missions.

“Memorial Hermann invested in this new fleet of helicopters to expand our reach and allow us to help even more people who are in critical need of air ambulance transport,” says Toni Von Wenkstern, vice president, trauma, Memorial Hermann Health Systems.

“The Memorial Hermann Life Flight team has long been a leader in the HEMS market, setting industry benchmarks and incorporating the latest technology to benefit the communities it serves,” adds Bart Reijnen, president of Airbus Helicopters and head of the North America region. “Our team is proud of the long-standing partnership we have with the programme and is dedicated to supporting it as its new helicopters enter into service and throughout the fleet's lifecycle.”

“The enhanced technology and safety features, larger cabin and cargo space, increased fuel load and shorter reconfiguration times will provide us with the capabilities of a mobile intensive care unit,” states Tom Flanagan, consultant and programme director.

The H160 is in service in the US, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Saudi Arabia, France and other European countries and has been ordered for use in energy, private business aviation, HEMS, search and rescue, law enforcement and military missions. The H160 offers the largest cabin in its class, sliding doors, low levels of vibration, flat attitude in flight and Blue Edge rotor blades, making it the quietest helicopter in its class and providing a more comfortable experience for patients and health care professionals.

In total, there are more than 1,675 H145 family helicopters in service, logging a total of more than 7.6 million flight hours. Powered by two Safran Arriel 2E engines, the H145 is equipped with a full authority digital engine control (FADEC) and the Helionix digital avionics suite. It includes a high performance four-axis autopilot, increasing safety and reducing pilot workload. Its particularly low acoustic footprint makes the H145 the quietest helicopter in its class, while its CO2 emissions are low.