York Regional Police acquire H125
Ontario’s York Regional Police has unveiled a new Airbus H125 helicopter, which will replace their 20-year-old Eurocopter EC120
The law enforcement-configured aircraft will be operated by the department’s Air Service, and was purchased from Airbus for approximately C$7.2 million (US$5.6 million).
The aircraft will be designated as Air2, and will complementing the Air1 helicopter currently operated by the neighboring Durham Regional Police.
The H125 has a cruise speed of 252km/h, with a maximum range of 630km and an endurance of around 4.5 hours – a significant increase compared with the 2.5 hours endurance offered by the old aircraft. The higher specifications will allow the aircraft to support police on the ground for longer periods of time, and operate further afield.
The aircraft will be operated and maintained on behalf of York Regional Police by Canadian Helicopters (CH), an operator based in Les Cèdres, Quebec, under a long-term contract, and will be based out of the Toronto Buttonville Municipal Airport.
Aviation software specialist Rusada announced plans to open a new office in nearby Toronto in January 2023.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at AirMed&Rescue. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.