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STARS Air Ambulance completes initial fleet renewal with delivery of tenth Airbus H145 helicopter

STARS Air Ambulance took delivery of its tenth Airbus H145 helicopter, marking the completion of its initial fleet renewal plans. An Airbus operator for nearly four decades, STARS air medical fleet now exclusively holds H145 helicopters.

“Introducing the H145 to the STARS fleet has greatly enhanced our ability to deliver life-saving care to patients in need from our bases across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba,” said Andrea Robertson, President and CEO of STARS. “Our goal is to continuously expand the envelope of our mission services.”

Airbus explains operating a common fleet of aircraft has allowed the physician-driven organization to focus on introducing innovations that enhance the service provided to its patients, such as enhanced weather monitoring and onboard wifi.

“We are grateful for the trust that STARS has placed in Airbus Helicopters over the years,” said Romain Trapp, President of Airbus Helicopters and Head of the North America region. “Performing on average 10 missions per day across Canada requires aircraft you can count on.”

STARS’ fleet renewal began with the first H145 delivery in 2019. The initial five deliveries were the four-bladed variant. These aircraft are being upgraded to five blades, with one of the retrofits having already been completed. The final five aircraft were delivered in the 5-bladed configuration.

The five-bladed H145 features 330 lbs (150 kg) of increased useful load, simplifies maintenance operations and improves ride comfort for passengers and crew. Powered by two Safran Arriel 2E engines, the H145 is equipped with full authority digital engine control (FADEC) and Airbus’ Helionix digital avionics suite. The customized aircraft have been fitted with helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) interiors.