- Hon Casey Costello
The people of Hawkes Bay are the latest to benefit from a major upgrade of New Zealand's emergency helicopters, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said today.
"In 2024, New Zealand's helicopter fleet was the oldest in the developed world and the coalition government has invested to fix that," Ms Costello says.
"The new Airbus H145 D3 helicopter operated by Search and Rescue Services Limited in the Hawke's Bay is the eighth new or near-new machine to come into operation since early 2024. The others have been in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Greater Wellington, Nelson/Tasman, Canterbury and the West Coast regions.
"Our air ambulance helicopters play a vital role in saving lives around New Zealand, and this is particularly true for those living in remote, rural or regional areas. That's why $27.3 million was invested across 2024 and 2025 to enable the country's air ambulance helicopter services to replace ageing helicopters with 16 newer aircraft.
"The new helicopters provide improved safety, more reliable service, a better capacity to respond in bad weather conditions, reduced maintenance costs, greater fuel efficiency and better operational performance."
The new Hawkes Bay helicopter features enhanced automation, improved performance in challenging conditions, and superior patient care capabilities compared to the aircraft it replaces.
"The new helicopter will strengthen air ambulance response across the region, supporting patients with life-threatening conditions, those who cannot be reached by road ambulance, and critically ill patients requiring inter-hospital transfer with specialist intensive care teams," Ms Costello says.
"By June next year, a further eight replacement helicopters will begin operating in remaining parts of the North Island and in Christchurch.
"People working in our air ambulance service do an incredible job and the investment to upgrade our helicopter fleet is helping to ensure best outcomes for everyone."
