Eurocopter's EC135 will perform medical airlift duties throughout Turkey, with a fleet of 17 helicopters to be flown by the Turkish Aeronautical Association's THK Gökçen Aviation commercial arm.
Operations are to begin in August 2013 with an initial five EC135s. The type was selected for the role by THK Gökçen Aviation and Saran Holding, which won a five-year air ambulance service tender from the Turkish Ministry of Health.
"Eurocopter is committed to supporting Turkey in emergency medical services [EMS], which constitute one of the most critical uses of a helicopter," says Olivier Lambert, the company's senior vice-president for sales and customer relations.
About 25% of all EMS helicopter operations around the world are performed using EC135s, according to Eurocopter, which says around 500 of the type have been delivered in EMS configurations.
Source: Flight International
