Airbus and DRF Luftrettung Announce Major Helicopter Deal to Boost Emergency Services

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

DRF Luftrettung, a leading German air rescue service, together with Airbus Helicopters, has announced a deal for up to ten H145 helicopters, including seven confirmed orders and three optional ones. Dr. Krystian Pracz, CEO of DRF Luftrettung, emphasized the organization’s dedication to advancing medical care for those in urgent need. The acquisition of these additional H145s underscores their commitment to maintaining a state-of-the-art, versatile helicopter fleet for life-saving operations.

“It is the mission of DRF Luftrettung to continuously improve medical care for people in need. With the new order of ten additional H145s, we continue to ensure the optimal service for our patients by keeping the helicopter fleet as modern and flexible as possible for our life-saving missions,” said Dr. Krystian Pracz, CEO of DRF Luftrettung.

“As an operator that deploys its fleet for emergency medical services, the DRF Luftrettung truly understands the importance that a helicopter’s performance can have in making a decisive difference in the care a patient receives. We are therefore very grateful for the continued trust that they place in our helicopters,” said Thomas Hein, Head of Europe Region at Airbus Helicopters. “We are proud to see that over the last decade the H145 has become the backbone of DRF Luftrettung’s fleet performing life-saving missions in Germany and Europe.”

The latest H145 model enhances its capabilities with a new five-bladed rotor, boosting the helicopter’s useful load by 150 kg. This innovation simplifies maintenance through a bearingless main rotor design, thereby enhancing serviceability, reliability, and in-flight comfort.

The H145 family of helicopters, boasting more than 1,675 units actively in operation, has achieved over 7.6 million flight hours. These helicopters are powered by twin Safran Arriel 2E engines, feature a comprehensive authority digital engine control (FADEC), and are equipped with the advanced Helionix digital avionics suite, which includes a 4-axis autopilot. Such features elevate the H145 to the forefront in terms of safety, reducing pilot workload, minimizing noise pollution, and cutting down CO2 emissions, establishing it as the quietest and most eco-friendly helicopter in its category.

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