- Hon Casey Costello
The Government is investing in eight new emergency helicopters to replace some of New Zealand's ageing air ambulance fleet, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello and ACC Minister Matt Doocey announced today.
"Our air ambulance helicopters play a vital role in saving lives around New Zealand," Casey Costello says. "This is particularly true for those living in remote, rural or regional areas.
"The replacement helicopters, which will be both new and second-hand, will be bought or leased and deployed to parts of the country where they are most needed.
"As well as improved safety, the new helicopters will provide more reliable service, a better capacity to respond in bad weather conditions with new Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) capability, reduced maintenance costs, greater fuel efficiency and better operational performance."
An additional $14.7 million is being invested in the year to July 2025, $8.2 million by Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora and $6.5 million by ACC, to enable New Zealand's air ambulance helicopter service providers to replace ageing helicopters with newer aircraft.
"New Zealand's air ambulance fleet needs upgrading, so it's exciting to announce this investment in a critically needed service," says Mr Doocey.
"The helicopter fleet enables paramedics, doctors and nurses to provide treatment while patients are transported to an appropriate hospital or healthcare facility. This reduces the impacts of illness or injury from delayed care."
In the last three years, air ambulance use has increased by 21 percent, with the total fleet flying 13,026 hours in the year to October 2023, an average of more than 35 hours every day.
New Zealand's emergency air ambulance helicopter services are currently provided by Northern Rescue Helicopter Limited (for Auckland and Northland), Central Air Ambulance Rescue Limited (for the Central North Island) and Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (for the South Island). These service providers own or lease the helicopters.
Health NZ and ACC are working with the sector to redesign the aeromedical operating model to make the best use of air ambulance resources, including moving to longer term contract arrangements with providers.
"The first replacement helicopter is already in operation, with the next one due to arrive in New Zealand at the end of the year. I look forward to seeing the upgraded fleet being fully deployed," Ms Costello says.
"This long weekend is also the time to remind people to be careful on the roads and to thank everyone working to keep New Zealanders safe including our air and road ambulance crews and emergency responders."
