New era for transport medicine in Ontario

Ornge is proud to introduce the most significant fleet upgrade in the history of aero medical transport in Ontario. The first of the new AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters were unveiled this morning at the Ornge base at the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.

The new helicopters will transport Ornge’s medical teams who provide services for patients requiring advanced and critical levels of care during transport.

Ornge paramedics and pilots employed by CHL, the operator of Ornge rotor aircraft, will begin transporting patients in the new high-performance medium twin turbine helicopters over the coming months. Ornge purchased ten AW139 aircraft from AgustaWestland, a Finnmeccanica company, in 2008 to replace the older fleet of Sikorsky S76 helicopters currently in use at Ornge bases across the province.

“As innovators in our field, we are on the cutting edge of both aviation and medicine,” said Dr. Christopher Mazza, Ornge CEO and Emergentologist. “The AW139 medically-equipped aircraft will help us to deliver a modern, high quality, sustainable transport medicine program for Ontario patients today and for generations to come.”

The AW139 is the most technologically advanced rotor wing aircraft in air medical transport today. The fastest helicopter in its class, it is capable of operating in a wide variety of weather conditions – from extreme heat to extreme cold – found across Ontario’s one million square kilometers. Ornge is the first AgustaWestland client in North America to have a full ice protection installed in medically equipped helicopters. The AW139 also has enhanced safety and environmental features.

Giuseppe Orsi, Chief Executive Officer, AgustaWestland said: “We are proud to be part of this new era in transport medicine in Ontario providing the best medium twin helicopter to such a leading operator and to the benefit of the large community they serve. The AW139 will enable Ornge to perform a quantum leap forward in operational capability to successfully accomplish the mission and save lives in the harshest conditions when other models would be confined to the hangar.”

Each helicopter is outfitted with an advanced full medical interior designed and configured by Ornge transport medicine physicians and paramedics in collaboration with Aerolite, a world leader in medical helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft interiors.

In January 2006, Ornge began coordinating all aspects of the province’s transport medicine system. Since then, Ornge has transported nearly 95,000 patients more than 30 million statute miles – over 1,200 times around the earth -- in its rotor and fixed wing aircraft, along with its critical care land units.

Source: AgustaWestland