STARS welcomes new helicopter to Grande Prairie and area

Together with patients, crew and supporters, STARS officially welcomed its new Airbus H145 helicopter to Northern Alberta and the Peace Region today. The new aircraft model, which will fly missions from STARS’ Grande Prairie base, is part of an initiative to replace and renew the non-profit air ambulance’s fleet across Western Canada.

The milestone event was marked with a celebration at the STARS base in Grande Prairie that included federal, provincial, and municipal government representatives, community partners and allies, and STARS crew and former patients.

The H145 helicopter has already helped patients in the area, having entered service just last week after months of aviation, medical and engineering personnel training in Grande Prairie, Ontario and Texas.

In 2018, STARS unveiled its multi-year Keep the Fight in Flight capital campaign to renew its fleet of BK117 and AW139 aircraft with new, medically-equipped Airbus H145 helicopters, at a cost of CAD $13 million each.

An extensive review resulted in the selection of the Airbus H145 aircraft as the best option for STARS’ new fleet. It offers cutting-edge technology, advanced safety features, and an updated version of the medical interior found in STARS’ existing helicopters.

All six STARS bases across Western Canada will be operating the new helicopter model later this year, thanks to the generous support of donors.