STAT MedEvac has committed to ordering 10 new H135 helicopters as part of a fleet renewal initiative for its air medical operations. STAT's total Airbus fleet, a mix of H135 and H145 family aircraft, operates out of 18 bases.

“We've been flying Airbus products since we began our operations and couldn't imagine it any other way,” says CEO Jim Houser. “Going back to the first North American EC135, we've been a key operator of the H135 throughout its upgrades and evolutions, and the H135 has continuously met our mission requirements, helping us provide high-quality care in the safest and most efficient way possible. We look forward to renewing our fleet with these 10 new aircraft, and we thank Airbus for being such a supportive and fantastic partner all these years.”

STAT MedEvac has flown Airbus Helicopters since commencing operations in 1985 and has a longstanding history with the H135 family. It was the first air ambulance programme in North America to operate the EC135 in 1997, the first single-pilot IFR programme with an EC135 in the US HEMS sector, the launch customer of the latest H135 variant in North America and the launch customer of the Helionix-equipped version in 2019. The Pennsylvania-based critical care transport provider is the clinical arm for the Center for Emergency Medicine of Western Pennsylvania, and is also the largest single branded, non-profit medical transport system in the Eastern United States.

“STAT MedEvac has become a key part of the H135's success in the air medical market, and Airbus is extremely proud to support the life-saving missions it carries out every single day,” says president and head of the North American region Romain Trapp. “With the latest evolution of this proven platform, Airbus aims to continue to meet our EMS customers' evolving needs to use their helicopters as flying hospitals and to be able to do so with the latest technologies that reduce pilot workload and increase safety all around. Thank you to the entire team at STAT for your trust in Airbus and for the incredible work that you do.”

The H135 can be fitted with a wide range of EMS configurations, providing direct access and ample room for patient care. With the lowest operating and maintenance costs of any twin-engine, the H135 family of aircraft include Airbus' Helionix avionics suite and has recently received an alternate gross weight increase for an additional 265lbs of useful load.