Primary Area Of Operation Will Be North Of Borneo

The first EC145 multi-role helicopter for Malaysia was delivered by Eurocopter to Sabah Air Aviation for medical airlift duties.  The aircraft is the first of its type in Malaysia, and Sabah Air Aviation plans to use the helo for missions in the Sabah region, north of Borneo.

Sabah Air Aviation EC145

Sabah Air Aviation says it selected the EC145 after an extensive evaluation, choosing the rotary-wing aircraft for its utility in the helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) sector, benefitting from a large interior that accommodates two patients and paramedics.

“Helicopters have been playing a role in saving lives in many situations for decades now, and they are unbeatable for point-to-point speed,” said YB Pang Yuk Ming, the Chairman of Sabah Air Aviation. “When lives hang in balance, a helicopter air ambulance may be the difference between life and death. We are now looking forward to putting the EC145 into service.”

The aircraft will be kept busy following its delivery by Eurocopter Malaysia. It was immediately displayed and demonstrated its capabilities for the extrication and evacuation of accident trauma victims mission at the Ministry of Health’s 2nd International Conference on Pre-Hospital Care and Emergency Communication System, organized by the Malaysian Society for Traumatology and Emergency Medicine and Emergency & Trauma Department of Hospital Kuala Lumpur. This conference’s theme was chosen following public concern about paramedic response time for the treatment of accident victims in a fatal Malaysian bus crash last month, which renewed the government’s efforts to define better ways of managing such disasters.

Pierre Nardelli, the President and CEO of Eurocopter Malaysia, underscored how helicopters play a key role in such situations elsewhere in the world, adding that Malaysia is now moving to embrace this concept. “Eurocopter is the leading manufacturer of helicopters for emergency medical services, with our EC135 and EC145 being the aircraft of choice in these operations,” he said. “The EC135 already is well established in Malaysia, and we are looking forward to the first Malaysian-registered EC145 entering service with Sabah Air Aviation.”

The EC145 was also presented to the public and private sector in a separate event on the same day at Carcosa Seri Negara, as part of a demonstration tour organized by Eurocopter Malaysia.

FMI: www.eurocopter.com