Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance opens new Southampton, UK, airport base
The service has relocated operations to Southampton Airport, aiming to reduce response times across the region
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance has officially begun operating from its new purpose-built air base at Southampton Airport in southern England, following its relocation from Thruxton after nearly two decades.
The service completed the transition on 9 June after a period of operational testing alongside airport authorities, air traffic control, and commercial airline traffic.
Its clinical teams, pilots, and critical care paramedics have now begun responding to emergencies permanently from the new site.
Since launching in 2007, the charity had operated from a location in the northern part of Hampshire. However, internal data showed that around 70% of its incidents occurred in the southern half of its coverage area, including Southampton, Portsmouth, Winchester, and the Isle of Wight, making the previous base less centrally located for many missions.
The organization said the move was expected to reduce flight times to patients, with earlier performance data indicating quicker access to incidents compared with the former operating base. Under the previous configuration, crews could spend up to 20 minutes flying to reach patients in the south of the region, followed by a return leg of similar duration.
The new two-story facility includes a helicopter hangar, rooftop helipad, crew accommodation, training and briefing rooms, offices, aftercare facilities, and space for its emergency response vehicle fleet. A visitor and training center overlooking the operational area has also been incorporated, designed for public education and community engagement activities.
The project was funded through a combination of charity reserves and £3.6 million raised from more than 13,000 donors to support conversion of the airport site into a dedicated airbase.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance said the relocation formed part of its long-term strategy to improve clinical outcomes by reducing time to definitive care, a critical factor in trauma and cardiac emergencies.
Additional details on the new base and the charity’s operations are provided in an interview with Richard Corbett, Chief Executive of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance.