Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s brand new helicopter has taken to the skies over the North Yorkshire coast.

The £6m Airbus H145 aircraft is now fully operational following the completion of crew training and a full medical fit-out.

It is based at Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s northern air base at RAF Topcliffe, near Thirsk, and completes the replacement of the rapid response emergency service’s two, aging MD902 Explorer aircraft.

The new helicopters offer better flight performance and will have significantly lower operational and maintenance costs, saving taxpayers money. The H145 is night capable, enabling longer flying hours, and offers a much larger cabin area to treat patients in flight.

The region’s air ambulance doctors and paramedics have been involved from the start in the fit out which will see the helicopters carrying the latest medical equipment.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance has planned the replacement of its increasingly costly, aging aircraft for several years. The £12m cost has been met through planned savings, grants, careful budgeting and the generosity of the people of Yorkshire.