US air medical operator Life Flight Network has ordered five Airbus H135 helicopters to support emergency medical missions in the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West, Airbus said Monday.

The new order follows a 2025 order for three H135s, bringing the total number of the twin-engine helicopters ordered by the operator to eight, according to an Airbus press release.

Airbus said the aircraft will transport critically ill and injured patients in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. The deliveries will expand the operator’s air medical capabilities, with medical crews getting modern flight decks and dedicated clinical space.

“Every investment in our fleet is an investment in the patients and communities who count on us,” said Ben Clayton, CEO of Life Flight Network.

“Across the Pacific Northwest, Intermountain West, and Hawai`i, our crews serve communities separated by mountain ranges, oceans, and vast rural distances. The H135’s advanced safety features and air medical capabilities are well suited to the demands of serving this diverse region,” he said.

Bart Reijnen, head of the North America region at Airbus Helicopters, said the company was honoured by the operator’s continued trust.

“The H135 continues to set the standard for air medical services, combining exceptional reliability, advanced safety technologies, and quiet flight performance so that dedicated clinical teams can carry out their lifesaving work safely and efficiently,” he said.

Airbus describes the H135 as a market reference in emergency medical services. It cited the helicopter’s climate-controlled cabin, high-set main rotor, and Fenestron shrouded tail rotor, which the manufacturer says improves ground safety during patient loading.

The helicopter is fitted with Airbus’s Helionix digital avionics suite, which includes a four-axis autopilot designed to reduce pilot workload and improve safety during day and night missions in complex weather conditions, the company said. Airbus also said the H135 has the lowest acoustic footprint in its class.

More than 1,500 H135-family helicopters are in service worldwide, having logged more than eight million cumulative flight hours in medical, law enforcement, and utility roles, according to Airbus.

The press release did not disclose the value of the order or the delivery schedule.

Source: ঢ়ফ