Babcock Scandinavian Air Ambulance (SAA) has been selected to operate a patient transfer service for the people of Gothenburg, Sweden.

The new contract will see Babcock operate a specially-configured  AW169 helicopter from a new base in Gothenburg.

Flights will start in 2018 when the operation transfers to Babcock from the current in-house provider. The contract runs for four years, with options for two years’ extensions.

The contract has an overall value up to 380 million SEK (£34m).

Managing Director of Babcock Scandinavian Air Ambulance, Marius Hansen, said: “We are enormously pleased to have been selected to provide this critical service for Västra Götaland County. This award extends the coverage we already provide to Sweden and is a great recognition of the reputation we have for delivering a trusted and critical service when it matters the most.

“The contract will see Babcock operate an AW169 helicopter from a base in Gothenburg, giving thousands of patients across the area vital access to swift and safe transport direct to the specialist healthcare centre they require.

“The new helicopter – the fifth of this model we will operate in Sweden – will carry trained medical staff and will be equipped with the latest on-board technologies, ensuring patients receive the right level of specialist in-flight care.”

Babcock has extensive experience of running Helicopter Emergency Services (HEMS) across countries including Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Finland as well as Australia and the UK.

Babcock’s fleet of Emergency Service aircraft, operated by highly experienced crews and supported by skilled staff, executes around 63,000 missions each year, providing critical air ambulance, search and rescue, firefighting, police and civil protection services.