New air ambulance jet arrives in Switzerland for Rega

Swiss Air-Rescue Rega has taken delivery of the first of its three new Bombardier Challenger 650 air ambulance jets. The new Rega jet is an enhanced version of those the organisation has in its current fleet, offering various improvements for both patients and crews. According to Rega, the interior and medical equipment are custom-made: a project team comprising Rega pilots, medics and engineers, in collaboration with external specialists, has spent the last four years designing the new cabin fit-out. Patients are set benefit not just from wider, multifunctional stretchers and reduced cabin noise, but also from the fact that pilots are now permitted to use higher altitude flight routes across the Atlantic, and due to the lower air resistance at higher altitudes, the new jet uses less fuel on these routes, which in turn means fewer refuelling stops on long-distance flights. Urs Nagel, Chief Pilot at Rega, explains: “As a result, particularly with long-haul operations, we will be able to fly our patients home faster and in a more cost-effective manner in future.”

Coinciding with the Annual Media Conference, Rega's new Challenger 650 ambulance jet from the Canadian manufacturer, Bombardier, landed at Zurich Airport and was greeted with a traditional water salute by the airport fire service. The jet, registration number HB-JWA, is the first of a total of three new ambulance jets that will join the Rega fleet by the end of 2018. For Rega CEO, Ernst Kohler, this represents an investment in the future: &quotThe new Rega jet is one of the most modern civil ambulance aircraft worldwide. We are thus ensuring that in the coming years, too, Rega can continue to come to the aid of its patients all over the world in a reliable and professional manner.”