ÖAMTC Air Rescue acquires five H135 helicopters

The delivery of the first helicopter of this contract is scheduled for early 2022.

“Our demanding missions require the most modern helicopters available for enhancing our capability for critical missions, e.g. during the night. We have been operating the H135 for more than 20 years, and we look forward to benefiting from the advantages that the Helionix version brings,” said Reinhard Kraxner, CEO at ÖAMTC Air Rescue. “The reduced pilot workload combined with the four-axis autopilot will be a valuable asset onboard for our crews that rescue patients often in challenging environments.”

“We thank ÖAMTC Air Rescue for their continued trust in Airbus Helicopters and particularly in the H135,” added Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “The H135 continues to demonstrate that it is the reference in air medical rescue all over the world.”

Fast loading/unloading of patients possible

ÖAMTC Air Rescue operates 28 H135 helicopters from 17 permanent bases and four additional bases during the wintertime in Austria. Last year, the operator performed more than 20,000 missions, with on average 52 missions per day.

The H135 combines a wide, unobstructed cabin with range and payload capacity – along with low sound levels. The oversized sliding side doors and rear clamshell doors enable fast loading/unloading of patients, with additional safety during ground operations provided by Airbus’ signature shrouded Fenestron tail rotor.

On top of the four-axis autopilot, Helionix offers an innovative cockpit layout which helps to increase situational awareness. Designed with three large electronic displays on the H135, the cockpit is Night Vision Goggle compatible and includes a First Limit Indicator which highlights the appropriate engine instrument data for the pilot in one indicator.

More than 1,400 H135 helicopters delivered

To date, more than 1,400 helicopters of the H135 family have been delivered around the globe with more than 5.6 million flight hours. Just recently, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certified a new Alternate Gross Weight (AGW) for the latest version of Airbus H135 helicopters. The new AGW enables operators to benefit from an increased maximum take-off weight of up to 120kg (265 lb) and useful load.