Beijing 999 signs agreement for first H145 for medical rescue and SAR missions in China

Beijing 999 Emergency Rescue Center (Beijing 999), a subsidiary of Beijing Red Cross Foundation, signed an agreement with Airbus Helicopters for the purchase of one H145, the first of its kind to be configured with a hoist for medical and search and rescue (SAR) in China. The rotorcraft is scheduled for delivery by 2019. Beijing 999 currently operates two H135s, the first fully-equipped air ambulance in the country, providing emergency medical services (EMS) around Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei region in China. The new H145 will be the first in China equipped with both a hoist and a full medical interior, allowing it to perform either mountain rescue operations or long range air ambulance transfer. It is also equipped with a weather radar and floats. Airbus Helicopters is a leading rotorcraft provider, holding a more than 60% market share worldwide in the EMS and SAR segment – with the H135 being one of the sector’s reference helicopters alongside the company’s larger H145.