The Great North Air Ambulance Service has raised £500,000 in three months towards a vital third helicopter, marking the first major milestone in its £2.5 million Operation SOS appeal.
The charity requires the deposit to secure a third Airbus H145 D2, needed to ensure resilience as its current ageing fleet faces mounting maintenance issues.
Chief Pilot Phil Lambert explained the urgency: “With only two helicopters we live on a knife-edge.
“If one is in maintenance and the other develops a fault, we’re grounded, and that means we can’t answer a 999 call by helicopter. A third aircraft changes everything.
“It gives us resilience and guarantees that when one is being serviced, two remain ready to fly.”
Response
Since launching the appeal in November, GNAAS teams have responded to over 420 incidents across the North of England and Isle of Man, with 70% reached by rapid response vehicle due to aircraft maintenance.
CEO Joe Garcia MBE said: “Reaching £500,000… is an incredible achievement and a powerful demonstration of the trust and generosity shown by our supporters.”
The charity must raise the remaining £2 million this year to secure the aircraft.