Air Methods Receives FAA Certification for Eurocopter EC130 B4 Medical Interior
Thursday June 5, 7:00 am ET
Award Completes Year-Long Development Program;
First Aircraft Delivered to Oklahoma City's MEDI FLIGHT
DENVER, June 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Products Division of Air Methods Corporation (Nasdaq: AIRM - News) today announced it has been awarded FAA Supplemental Type Certification (STC) approval for their Eurocopter EC130 B4 Emergency Medical Interior. This award caps a one-year development program in close cooperation with Eurocopter and several user groups from hospitals and community service EMS providers and public service organizations.
Immediately following FAA approval, the first aircraft was delivered to Oklahoma University Medical Center MEDI FLIGHT program in Oklahoma City, Okla. MEDI FLIGHT will be the first air ambulance service in the world to use the EC130 B4 helicopter for transporting patients. With the range of the EC130 helicopter MEDI FLIGHT will be able to serve the entire state of Oklahoma from its centrally located base at OU Medical Center. A second similarly equipped EC130 aircraft was placed in service with MEDI FLIGHT recently.
The interior design features a highly modular, flexible arrangement of medical systems and equipment, which makes the aircraft ideal for multi- mission applications such as dedicated EMS transport, airborne law enforcement and Search and Rescue (SAR).
"Air Methods Products Division is pleased to be the provider of the world's first EMS-equipped EC130 aircraft," commented Arthur E. Torwirt, Vice President of the Products Division. "The addition of the EC130 to Air Methods' Eurocopter product line further strengthens our position in the aeromedical market and our ability to offer customers a wide range of choices of aircraft systems to meet their specific needs."
Air Methods offers EMS interiors for the BK117, AS350, AS355, EC135, BO105 and AS365 Eurocopter aircraft.
Air Methods Corporation ( www.airmethods.com ) is a leader in emergency aeromedical transportation, medical services and technology. The Air Medical Services Division is the largest provider of air medical transport services for hospitals in the world. The Mercy Air subsidiary and LifeNet division create the largest community-based provider of air medical services. The Products Division specializes in the design and manufacture of aeromedical and aerospace technology. The Company's fleet of owned, leased or maintained aircraft features over 160 helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. |
