DRF Luftrettung has signed a purchase agreement with Airbus Helicopters for 10 H140 helicopters. The ceremony took place at Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airport. The German non-profit aeromedical organisation is thereby consistently continuing its fleet renewal programme and setting an important course for the future of air rescue.

Dirk Petry, head of H135 and H140 programmes, and Thomas Hein, head of Europe region at Airbus Helicopters, attended the official signing of the purchase agreement at the DRF Luftrettung operations centre at Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden. The document was signed on behalf of DRF Luftrettung by the board members Krystian Pracz and Roman Morka.

“In the wake of the currently discussed hospital reform and reform of emergency medical services, we face complex challenges. With the H140, we are adding an innovative and future-proof aircraft to our fleet. This means we are ideally equipped, even in a changing hospital landscape, to provide patients with the highest quality of care at the scene of the incident and to transport them quickly and efficiently to the most suitable hospital,” Pracz comments, emphasising the importance of the new acquisition. The helicopters are scheduled to enter service with DRF Luftrettung in 2028, gradually replacing the H135 models currently in use.

The expected new legal regulations in the German healthcare sector will also require the further development of existing concepts in emergency air rescue. With the planned expansion of 10 H140 helicopters, DRF Luftrettung is making an important contribution to further improving patient care. Thanks to larger cabin dimensions, they benefit from additional medical equipment and improved treatment options on board.

“DRF Luftrettung was able to contribute its many years of expertise in aerial emergency rescue to the development of the H140,” emphasises Petry, head of H135 and H140 programmes at Airbus Helicopters. “Our partnership has been established over three decades, beginning with the EC135 in the 1990s and the H145 in 2014, and will continue successfully with the entry of the H140 in 2028. We are therefore all the more pleased to be able to continue our successful collaboration with this contract for 10 H140s.”

DRF Luftrettung operates one of the largest H145 fleets in Germany and Europe. With the new H140 helicopters, the company is consistently gearing itself towards being able to respond effectively to all developments and changes in the rescue sector: “In changing times, agility is more than just a concept; we see it as a necessity and an opportunity,” explains Pracz. “The signed purchase agreement underscores our firm commitment to making DRF Luftrettung flexible and future-proof in order to further increase the effectiveness of emergency medical rescue.”