Second EHS LifeFlight plane for Nova Scotia

The government of Nova Scotia has confirmed that the aircraft, a Beechcraft 1900 turboprop, will be provided by operator PAL Aerospace under an amended contract. The projected cost of the new service is expected to be around C$5.9 million (US$4.42 million) per year.

The plane will be the second to be operated by PAL on behalf of EHS LifeFlight. The company has operated air ambulance services in the province since 2000, and received its current contract from the Nova Scotian government in 2022 – extending its provision of this service for another seven years.

The new service is intended to free up ground-based ambulances and paramedics to serve more local emergency calls. Additionally, the new plane will significantly reduce travel times for patients and responders between Halifax, Sydney, and Yarmouth – taking approximately an hour, compared with approximately five hours by road transport.

Services using the second plane are expected to begin next week, initially with three round trips per day, carrying between two and four patients per trip – however, the number of flights is expected to be increased over time.

“The demand on emergency health services is growing and the best place for ambulances and paramedics to be is in their communities, helping people when an emergency strikes,” said Michelle Thompson, Minister of Health and Wellness. “This new plane will also drastically reduce the time it takes for patients to access the healthcare they need and return home sooner.”

The government of New Brunswick recently amended its own contract with air ambulance operator Voyageur Aviation to provide services to the island of Grand Manan.