News
Helijet awarded Olympic air ambulance contract

Dec. 30, 2009, Richmond, B.C., – Richmond's Helijet International will play a critical emergency role in the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games after being awarded a new contract with the B.C. Ambulance Service to operate two additional Sikorsky S-76 air ambulance helicopters during the Games.

One of the helicopters will be stationed in Whistler near the athlete's village, and the other near the event venues at Cypress Mountain in North Vancouver. Both are dedicated to providing ambulance and patient transfer services to medical facilities in Vancouver.

"We're proud to play such a critical role during the Games and to help ensure athletes, officials and visitors have the fastest and most reliable access to medical services anywhere," said Danny Sitnam, President and CEO for Helijet. "We've developed a strong working relationship with the BC Ambulance Service and we're pleased to carry through this contract with our high level of commitment to passengers and patients."

The aircraft to be used are now at Helijet's YVR facilities and are being mission configured for the contract, with planned Games service commencing in late January, thru March, 2010.

This most recent contract is in addition to Helijet's existing B.C. Ambulance Service contracts. Every year, Helijet air ambulance pilots and BC Ambulance Service paramedics provide air medical transfers and critical care for approximately 600 adults and infant patients on Vancouver Island and in South Western B.C.

During the Games, Helijet will continue to operate its schedule passenger flights between downtown Vancouver, YVR, and downtown Victoria, as well as daily charter flights between Vancouver and Whistler.

"We are pleased to once again renew our partnership with Helijet who, for more than a decade now has been working with us to provide this essential service to British Columbia," said Michael Essery, Superintendent-Aviation Services, for the BC Ambulance Service.

Helijet International Inc. is a Canadian-owned company and is North America's largest scheduled helicopter service. Helijet began flying between Victoria and the mainland in 1986 and has carried more than 1.9 million passengers in the past 24 years and has been operating dedicated air medically equipped helicopters for the Province of British Columbia for the past 11 years.