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Rega accepts five-blade H145 as part of fleet upgrade
An Airbus H145 D3 is joining the Rega fleet and will perform air ambulance missions by the time it has been kitted out by the team. The operator is planning to replenish its roster and replace its fleet of aircraft by 2026.
The new Rega helicopter is the first of 21 new rescue helicopters of the type Airbus H145 D3.

Last month the first of 21 new rescue helicopters for Rega's planned single-type fleet landed at the Swiss aeromedical service's facility at Zurich airport. The Airbus H145 D3 helicopter, which features a five-blade rotor, will now be outfitted by a specialist team, so that next year it will be ready to perform missions for seriously ill or injured persons. In spring 2025, the crew from Rega's base in Lausanne will be the first to receive the brand new rescue helicopter. The aircraft is one of the most modern of its kind worldwide and brings numerous advantages for both patients and crews.

With its 14 helicopter bases spread throughout Switzerland, Rega provides primary medical assistance by air around the clock. To achieve this, the reliability of its helicopter fleet is a decisive factor. Rega currently operates two different types of rescue helicopter, which will be replaced by the end of 2026. The future single-type fleet will reduce the volume and cost of maintenance work and continue to uphold the high level of availability of the entire fleet for the benefit of patients. In addition, operating just one helicopter type will save money in the procurement and management of spare parts and cut crew training time and expenditure.

The new Rega helicopter is the first of 21 new rescue helicopters of the type Airbus H145 D3, which are to be developed in line with Rega's specifications. The spacious cabin, which was further improved by a Rega interdisciplinary project team in comparison with its predecessor model, offers optimal conditions for patients and crew, as well as sufficient space for specialised medical equipment.

A new navigation and avionics system in the cockpit will in future allow even more precise instrument approach procedures, while additional spotlights mean that landing sites in rough terrain can be better illuminated during night missions. In addition, thanks to the higher performance and increased payload, the crew has significantly more reserve capacity at its disposal, which means that the new Rega helicopter is also ideally suited to missions in high mountain regions. Rega is investing a total of around CHF 200 million in the modernisation and expansion of its helicopter fleet. Included in this figure are the costs of medical equipment and training.

Before the new Rega helicopter can take off on its first rescue missions, over the next weeks the interior designed by Rega will be installed and certified in the hangar at Rega's Zurich airport headquarters. The crew at the Rega base in Lausanne will take delivery of its new helicopter, as the very first Rega crew to do so, in April 2025 and from then on will use it to carry out its rescue missions. The Lausanne crew fly around 800 missions every year for people in distress, including beyond the cantonal borders.

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