More than £400,000 has been raised in just over two months towards a £2.5 million target to help secure the future of the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) by replacing its ageing helicopter fleet.

For more than 20 years, the charity’s helicopters have been a vital lifeline between life and loss across the North of England and the Isle of Man. The aircraft operate mainly during daylight hours, with critical care teams switching to rapid response vehicles overnight between 8pm and 8am.

However, GNAAS’s current helicopters – Dauphin N3 and Dauphin N3+ aircraft – are approaching retirement. Rising maintenance costs, parts shortages and increasing downtime mean they are becoming too expensive and outdated to maintain the world-class standards of care the charity provides.

Without urgent investment, the charity faces the unthinkable prospect of being unable to respond as quickly – or at all – when time is everything.

In 2025 alone, GNAAS critical care teams based at Eaglescliffe in the North East and Langwathby in Cumbria responded to 1,938 incidents. These included 1,218 callouts in the North East, 542 in Cumbria, 94 in Northumberland, 33 in Scotland, 25 in North Yorkshire, 14 in the Isle of Man and 12 in Lancashire. The most common incidents were cardiac arrests, road traffic collisions, medical emergencies, falls and assaults.

As a charity, GNAAS receives no government funding and relies entirely on public support. In November, it launched its Operation SOS: Secure Our Service appeal to fund a new fleet of helicopters.

To meet growing demand and secure its future, the charity plans to invest in three state-of-the-art Airbus H145 D2 helicopters. The new aircraft would provide a more reliable and cost-effective fleet, capable of supporting the service for the next decade and beyond.

Joe Garcia MBE, Chief Executive Officer at GNAAS, said:
“Returning to a three-helicopter fleet means that when one aircraft is undergoing essential maintenance, two more are ready to answer the call. It’s the difference between a patient being reached in their moment of need or not – and that could be the difference between life and death.”

The biggest challenge now is raising the £2.5 million deposit required for the third aircraft. So far, 15 per cent of the total has been secured, with supporters raising more than £400,000 in just over two months.

Every donation, share and message of support brings GNAAS closer to replacing its ageing helicopters and adding a third life-saving aircraft to the fleet – helping secure the future of the region’s critical care service.

To donate or find out more about Operation SOS: Secure Our Service, visit:
https://www.greatnorthairambulance.co.uk/