Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance launches appeal for second helicopter

Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance (LNAA) has launched a public appeal to fund a second helicopter, aiming to meet rising demand across the English counties of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.

The charity has already secured most of the £7 million required for the aircraft and confirmed its production slot. Through the Mission Possible 2 Appeal, LNAA is now seeking to raise the remaining £500,000 needed to have the helicopter operational by late summer 2027.

Demand for the service has increased by 135% in recent years, with crews now averaging five helicopter missions per day compared with four last year. Covering 3,500 square miles, LNAA says it operates across the UK’s largest air ambulance service area and is currently unable to attend one to two major medical emergencies each day because its sole helicopter is already tasked elsewhere.

CEO Karen Jobling said: “For more than three decades we’ve been there for patients and their families on some of the worst days of their lives, but the reality is that demand is now outgrowing what one helicopter can deliver.

“A second helicopter will mean we can reach around 400 additional patients every year.”

The charity has planned several fundraising events, including the Lincoln Dragon Boat Festival on 11 July at Brayford Pool in Lincoln.