Skyline operates three fixed wing twin engine aircraft which include a turbo – prop King Air B200C, Cessna 421C (pressurized) and a Piper Navajo.
Skyline Aviation also operates three Eurocopter AS350 BA helicopters which support aeromedical contracts in Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne with one also being available to the private sector for commercial and aeromedical taskings.
The company also operates a Kawasaki BK117 B2 twin engine, IFR helicopter which is fully equipped with an EMS interior including rescue hoist, Nitesun light and Night Vision capability.
The BK117 is contracted on a 24/7 basis to the Hawkes Bay Helicopter Rescue Trust.
The company has safely transported approximately 15,000 patients throughout the North and South Islands of New Zealand.
Skyline and the Hawke’s Bay Air Ambulance Service is the busiest and one of the most capable aeromedical providers in New Zealand, undertaking approximately 27% of the national inter hospital transfer volumes in addition to providing rescue helicopter services to the Hawke’s Bay and Eastland regions.
The company currently transports approximately 2,000 patients per annum.
Certification and Standards
All Skyline aircraft hold current certification to the highest Ambulance New Zealand/Aviation Industry Association Air Rescue /Air Ambulance standards for air ambulance services.
Clinical support is provided in accordance with the NZ Standards NZS 8156.
Skyline holds a NZ Civil Aviation Authority Air Operators Certificate which is audited annually by NZCAA against the company’s documented operational procedures. The company consistently achieves excellent safety and compliance standards.
Hawke’s Bay Air Ambulance Service in ‘partnership’ with the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board
Skyline and the HBDHB have established an exclusive partnership arrangement for the seamless delivery of aeromedical services.
Whilst Skyline specialises in the provision of specially equipped and piloted aircraft, the HBDHB bring a full range of clinical support and specialist medical equipment to the ‘partnership’.
Services available to other government agencies and the private market include full intensive care transports with specialist doctors and flight nurses to more basic transports for patients who need a lower level of clinical assistance.
The Hawke’s Bay Air Ambulance Centre
Skyline’s purpose built 15,000 sq ft facilities opened by Prime Minister John Key on the 9th October 2009 at the Hawke’s Bay Airport, have been described as the best facility of its type in New Zealand.
Here patients, family members and clinical teams are provided with a dedicated patient reception and transfer lounge and the capability for indoor transfer from the road ambulance to one of three air ambulance aircraft. Other facilities include flight crew amenities, training and operations room. The HBAAC is also the company’s administration and management headquarters.
Aeromedical Clients
Skyline’s major clients include The Hawke’s Bay District Health Board, Hawke’s Bay Helicopter Rescue Trust, the Eastland Helicopter Rescue Trust and the Accident Compensation Corporation.
Through Skyline’s contract with the HBDHB, the company also provides a full range of 24/7 aeromedical services to the Tairawhiti District Health Board together with support to other District Health Boards.
The company’s full range of aeromedical services is available to all destinations within New Zealand and is certified and equipped for Pacific and Chatham Island offshore destinations.
Skyline also holds an aeromedical contract with the world’s largest personal assistance provider International SOS.
