Ornge to acquire four more planes
The government of Ontario, Canada, has announced plans to invest another C$108 million (US$ 78.4 million) into its Ornge air ambulance service
The funds will be used to acquire four additional fixed-wing aircraft – bringing the number of planes operated by Ornge to 12 when the fleet has been fully delivered by 2026.
These four additional aircraft will allow Ornge to offer better access to healthcare to Ontarians living in remote or rural communities.
The government of Ontario previously announced at the start of this year that it would acquire eight new planes to replace older aircraft, and the new funds will also be used to support the acquisition of these as well.
In a statement, Ornge said: “Once the new 12-plane fleet is ready in 2026, [we] will be able to add two fully staffed, 24/7 air ambulance crews to further connect people in the region in need of rapid emergency care.”
The government of Ontario will also provide Ornge with a further sum of almost C$10 million to move from their existing base in Sudbury to a larger hangar elsewhere in the city, which will have facilities capable of accommodating Ornge’s growing fleet.
Dr Homer Tien, President and CEO of Ornge, said: “With a new 24/7 fixed wing air ambulance crew based in Northeastern Ontario and additional aircraft added to our fleet, we will be able to bring high quality care in transport to more patients with enhanced reliability. This will help us deliver on our mandate to improve health equity, particularly in Northern Ontario and among northern Indigenous communities.”