UK aeromedical charity Cornwall Air Ambulance has declared the build of its second life-saving helicopter complete and has officially accepted the factory-new advanced AW169 rotorcraft.

The helicopter, built at Leonardo Helicopters’ production facility in Milan, was collected by two Cornwall Air Ambulance pilots and has arrived in Gloucester, where it will undergo its medical fit. The process, expected to take several months, will transform the helicopter into a fully functional critical care resource.

The milestone coincides with the Heli2 Appeal surpassing the £2 million mark of its £2.85 million target, leaving just £197,000 left to raise. The appeal is critical in funding the costs associated with both the helicopter and its medical equipment.

Paul Westaway, consultant in operations projects at the charity, says: “This has been an incredibly complex process involving every element of the aircraft from the build to configurations, test flights and the transfer back to the UK whilst making sure all aviation authority rules and regulations are met. It has been a pleasure to work with Leonardo, to be able to provide the very best possible AW169 helicopter for the people we serve, and we are incredibly grateful to the team for their hard work.”

CEO Tim Bunting adds: “This is a landmark moment for Cornwall Air Ambulance, as for the first time in the charity’s history we now own two state-of-the-art helicopters. Ultimately, this will mean we’ll be able to save even more lives for many years to come.”

Cornwall Air Ambulance is encouraging donations to help the charity close in on its £2.85 million final goal.