STARS welcomed its first new Airbus H145 helicopter to Manitoba earlier this week as part of a program to replace and renew the air ambulance provider’s fleet across western Canada.

The new helicopters cost approximately $13M and offer cutting-edge technology, advanced safety features, and an updated version of the medical interior found in STARS’ existing machines. STARS anticipates the first Airbus H145 will be in Manitoba skies later this fall.

"What I describe this as is a generational investment in what we do," says STARS President and CEO Andrea Robertson. "The aircraft that we currently fly have been flying us and patients for between 35 and 40 years. They've done a beautiful job, but they need to be replaced. We land on beaches at the side of the lake, we land in the middle of a road, farmers fields, a helipad... we want a little machine that can fit into tight spaces."

STARS hopes to wrap up its fundraising campaign by the end of the year and see the remainder of the new fleet enter service across western Canada through 2022.

"On behalf of the provincial government, I congratulate STARS on the arrival of their new H145 helicopter in Manitoba," says Premier Kelvin Goertzen. "STARS has been a valued partner in the delivery of critical care in our province for a decade, and I know Manitobans will be well-served for many years to come with this new addition to STARS’ life-saving fleet."

Robertson adds the organization flew to Portage la Prairie roughly 30 times last year and the addition of the helipad has saved them 30 minutes when responding to critically injured or ill patients, which could be the difference of life or death.