This brings its H145 fleet to 35 helicopters, which makes it the biggest operator of the five-bladed H145 in the world.

The contract was booked in 2019 and also renews DRF’s HCare smart contract, a full support parts-by-the-hour contract for DRF’s entire fleet for the next eight years.

“Our mission at DRF Luftrettung is to continuously improve medical care for people in need. For this, it is essential for us, and our patients, to operate the most modern helicopters available. This new contract, with the patient at the top of our priorities, launches the last phase of our fleet renewal. The new H145 helps us, thanks to the increased useful load, to improve our services,” said Dr Krystian Pracz, CEO of DRF Luftrettung.

Thomas Hein, Head of Western Europe Sales at Airbus Helicopters, said: “We thank DRF Luftrettung for their continued trust in Airbus Helicopters, our products and our services. This is a strong signal of our mutual, decade-lasting co-operation. We are proud of this cooperation and that we are able to support DRF Luftrettung, with our helicopters and services, in their critical mission of saving lives 365 days a year.”