Swiss air rescue service REGA has ordered a second batch of five-bladed Airbus H145 helicopters for its mountain bases as it seeks to replace its older AW109SP helicopters.
The twelve aircraft order means that REGA will operate an all-Airbus fleet with 21 five-bladed Airbus H145s in its inventory.
REGA will operate the aircraft from its mountain bases allowing it to offer Helicopter Emergency Services (HEMS) across the region from its 14 bases, which in 2021 carried out over 14,300 missions.
The five-bladed system on the H145 allows the aircraft to increase its payload by 150kg and the new bearingless main rotor design also cuts down maintenance costs and ease of maintenance.
“To effectively operate life-saving air rescue services in Switzerland, we understand that the ability to perform optimally at altitude is paramount,” says Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “The five-bladed H145 landed on the Aconcagua in Chile, a mountain that is nearly 7,000 metres high – no other twin engine helicopter has ever achieved this feat. That is why we are especially proud that Rega has put its faith in the five-bladed H145 and decided to make it the only helicopter type in its fleet to perform such critical missions.”
“By selecting the five-bladed H145, we are ensuring that Rega will continue being able to provide its patients with reliable and professional medical assistance by air for the next 15 years,” says Ernst Kohler, CEO of Rega.
The aircraft will come equipped with state-of-the-art navigation systems to fit the multi-role missions that will be carried out by the helicopters including a new Flight Management System (FMS) GTN750 Xi by Garmin.
The FMS will integrate and control a multi-sensor system that provides highly accurate and reliable navigation capacities. In the event of GPS signal loss, the helicopter will continue to navigate safely thanks to Thales’ inertial navigation system boosting the navigation performance in low IFR conditions and allowing the helicopter to be certified as navigation procedure RNP-AR 0.1.
