The objective of this Opinion is to modernise the European Union’s (EU) aviation regulatory framework applicable to helicopter emergency services and medical services.
The Opinion proposes revised requirements with regard to the following:
- flights to/from public interest sites (PISs) located in congested areas;
- helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) flights by day or by night in relation to equipment, training, operating minima, and operating site/hospital site features;
- HEMS requirements for high-altitude operations; and
- a new HEMS concept to cover mountain operations and rescue operations, other than search and rescue (SAR) operations.
The proposals put forward in this Opinion are expected to increase safety, and foster efficiency and proportionality while keeping the economic impact on HEMS operators at a minimum.
