Air ambulance service busier than ever
A year after losing an aircraft in a crash Taranaki’s dedicated air ambulance service is flying more missions than ever under a new operator with a more powerful plane, the trust which manages the operation says.
Taranaki Air Ambulance Trust spokesman David Drummond said in the past 12 months the trust had ‘‘never been busier.’’
The trust, with operator Skyline Aviation and Taranaki District Health Board, had transferred 512 critical care patients on 334 flights between New Plymouth and seven hospitals in the North and South Islands, including Wellington, Hamilton, Auckland, Palmerston North, Whanganui, Nelson and Greymouth.
In April 2020 the trust had helped transfer 61 patients compared to 27 patients in April 2019, Drummond said.
The relationship between the trust and the Napier-based Skyline Aviation had been positive since the company began flights using a Beechcraft King Air C90A in late 2019, he said.
It had enabled the trust to concentrate on raising money from public donations while Skyline was responsible for the operation including maintenance and crew rosters, he said.
The trust had spent $30,000 to meet new health standards necessary for patient care under Covid19 and after every flight, all interior surfaces are cleaned and sanitised before the plane takes off again, Drummond said.
The C90 had a cruising speed of 240 knots which meant a return flight to Hamilton can be completed in under an hour.
The trust’s previous plane, a 40-yearold Cessna 412, was written off after its nose gear failed to activate and it crashed on landing at Hamilton Airport on May 24, 2019.
The trust initially engaged Air Wanganui temporarily to provide a service after the crash without disruption before Skyline Aviation was taken on board.
The new arrangement between the trust and Skyline Aviation brought threats of court action for breach of contract from Skywest Aviation, which had operated the service up until the Hamilton crash. Skywest had claimed $752,000 for pre-purchase of an aircraft, costs and loss of revenue.
The company had not replied to questions from before the story went to print.
Drummond said the trust were moving on from the legal threat and focusing on providing an essential service for Taranaki residents.
‘‘The trust was set up to service the people of Taranaki, and has its own hangar, facilities and apron paid for by donations and voluntary labour, so we are a permanent fixture and not going anywhere.’’