Avincis, one of the world's leading operators of emergency air services and the largest provider in Europe, has taken delivery of a new five-bladed Airbus H145 D3 helicopter, which will enter service with Heli – South Tyrol Air Rescue.

This follows the renewal of Avincis' contract with its South Tyrolean partner, Heli – South Tyrol Air Rescue, to provide a rapid-response air rescue service in one of Italy's most mountainous and challenging regions.

The Heli – South Tyrol Air Rescue association was officially founded in 2010 and operates the air rescue service in South Tyrol on behalf of the Provincial Government of Bolzano. The association's members are the Provincial White Cross Rescue Association, the South Tyrol Alpine Club, the Mountain Rescue Service of the South Tyrol Alpine Club, the South Tyrol Mountain and Cave Rescue Service (CNSAS), the Italian Alpine Club, the Italian Red Cross and the South Tyrol Water Rescue Service.

This helicopter is the first of three new aircraft that will support the operation. With this addition, Avincis now operates 12 five-blade variants and a total of 43 H145 helicopters, one of the largest and most modern H145 fleets in the country. In Italy alone, Avincis operates 21 H145s, seven of which are five-bladed H145s.

Avincis ranks among the top five operators in terms of flight hours with the five-bladed H145 and among the top five in terms of the number of helicopters for the entire H145 family (including earlier versions).

This increased capacity will enable faster response times, strengthen coverage in remote mountainous areas and help ensure safety in the region throughout the year.

Luigi Ambrosini, managing director, rotor wing at Avincis Group says: “We welcome the addition of this new aircraft to our fleet. It is modern, efficient and offers our customers exactly what they need to provide rescue services. We are delighted to continue our long-standing contract in South Tyrol with Heli – South Tyrol Air Rescue.”

“We are delighted to continue our collaboration with Avincis, a strong partner of the association. This allows us to continue to support the local population in the best possible way,” adds Ivo Bonamico, president of Heli – South Tyrol Air Rescue.

“With the three new rescue helicopters, we are confident that the air rescue service in South Tyrol will remain at the cutting edge in the coming years, with modern, state-of-the-art equipment,” says Stefan Viehweider, director of Heli – South Tyrol Air Rescue.