DRF Luftrettung has signed a major support-by-the-hour contract with Safran Helicopter Engines for the engines powering its H145 fleet. The SBH contract covers in-service support and MRO for over 90 Arriel 2E engines; DRF Luftrettung is one of the biggest users of the Arriel engine in Europe.

"We have been using Safran Helicopter Engines in our fleet for many years now and they have become an indispensable part of our life-saving missions. It is crucial for us to work with partners who we can rely on in all circumstances. Therefore we are very happy that, in the future, we will continue to profit from Safran Helicopter Engines' experience and reliable services," says chief technology officer Roman Morka.

The contract will be managed by Safran Helicopter Engines Germany in Hamburg, which monitors and supports 300 helicopter operators in Northern and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, for a total fleet of 2,000 engines.

"This contract demonstrates the relevance of our SBH support model. DRF Luftrettung is one of the major actors in helicopter EMS in Germany, and it is important for them to have the most efficient engine MRO and support model possible," says executive vice-president, support and services Mathieu Albert.

SBH maintenance-by-the-hour provides visibility on engine operating costs and smoothes financial flows, while making scheduled and unscheduled maintenance operations more flexible. SBH is integrated into a range of high value-added digital services such as Health Monitoring, Expert Link and Online SBH.