New Zealand halfway through rescue helicopter fleet renewal

By Andrew Curran.

The New Zealand Government has reached the halfway mark of a three-and-a-half-year programme to replace the country's 16-strong fleet of emergency rescue helicopters.

An August 12 media statement noted the recent arrival of the eighth replacement helicopter, an Airbus H145 D3 registered as ZK-IXS (msn 21397), operated by Search and Rescue Services Limited in the Hawke's Bay region on New Zealand's North Island.

Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said it was the eighth new emergency rescue helicopter to enter service since early 2024.

"The others have been in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Greater Wellington, Nelson/Tasman, Canterbury and the West Coast regions," Costello said.

"The new helicopters provide improved safety, more reliable service, a better capacity to respond in bad weather conditions, reduced maintenance costs, greater fuel efficiency and better operational performance."

"By June next year, a further eight replacement helicopters will begin operating in remaining parts of the North Island and in Christchurch."

To date, the New Zealand Government has spent more than NZD27 million (USD16.1 million) on the fleet replacement programme. The fleet is distributed across several operators.

New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority data shows there are fourteen Airbus H145 D3s registered in the country, with the manufacturer first producing the five-bladed helicopter variant in 2020. Seven are registered to North Island-based Search and Rescue Services, with the first registered in December 2024 and the two most recent in July 2026.

The other rescue operator to receive H145 D3s is Helicopters Otago Limited. It has taken delivery of four since late 2024, the most recent in July this year. Unlike Search and Rescue Services, Helicopters Otago Limited also operates non-emergency helicopter services, including charters.

The remaining H145 D3s are spread across several tourism and charter operators.

Photo: Search and Rescue Services Limited.
Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com