Return of Wiltshire Air Ambulance helicopter delayed

Wiltshire Air Ambulance’s Bell 429 helicopter remains offline at Thruxton Airport in Hampshire, UK; it arrived for its annual service on 27 September.

It was discovered at the service that the helicopter needed urgent maintenance. While this was happening, the charity decided to complete planned maintenance work at the same time to reduce the amount of time the aircraft was unavailable. This work was originally scheduled for 2024.

A necessary part for the helicopter was ordered from abroad, but it was damaged in transit and can no longer be fitted. The engineers must now wait for a replacement to be sent.

It was originally planned by the charity for the aircraft to return to its base and be responding to calls by mid-November.

However, a Wiltshire Air Ambulance spokesperson has confirmed this is not the case. In a statement, they said: “Unfortunately the final component essential to the completion of the helicopter’s maintenance sustained damage during transit and has been deemed unsuitable for use.

“Another part has been sourced and we now awaiting confirmation of when this will arrive in the UK.

“As soon as it is delivered, it will be installed as a matter of urgency before ground testing can begin in readiness to return our helicopter for helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) work.”

In the meantime, the charity has been relying on rapid response vehicles (RRVs) to respond to calls, as it does not have access to an additional helicopter.