Bond Air Services is to provide Scottish Ambulance Service with two Eurocopter EC 135s, based at Glasgow and Inverness, where facilities are currently being expanded.

The new design incorporates incubators and the same stretchers used in road ambulances, minimising the need to transfer patients en route to hospital. Adrian Lucas, chief executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service commented: “We can now deliver an even higher standard of service to patients in Scotland 24 hours a day.”

The aircraft were inspected on the ground at Edinburgh by Scottish Health Minister, Susan Deacon. Scottish Ambulance Service’s air wing is the only publicly funded integrated air ambulance service in the UK. The two helicopters are an addition to the three fixed wing aircraft based at Glasgow Kirkwall and Lerwick.

The EC135s carry satellite moving map display, single pilot IFR equipment, auto pilot and GPS. Inside there is room for two stretchers, paramedics and escorts, with a flexible configuration allowing different combinations of seated and stretcher patients.

Bond ceo Peter Bond said: “The introduction of the EC 135s marks an important milestone in air ambulance support in Scotland where these aircraft are ideally suited to operate and are already proving their versatility.” Of the other six EC 135s delivered, one operates for Strathclyde Police, a second provides general back-up, and two will go to work for air ambulance services in England in June.

Meanwhile, County Air Ambulance from RAF Cosford, the UK’s largest air ambulance user, has also taken delivery of the EC 135. This coincides with recent improvements to facilities at RAF Cosford, including offices, a visitor centre, helipad and a new purpose-built hangar for the EC 135.