The first of three state-of-the-art rescue helicopters for the Canterbury West Coast region is today being unveiled at the GCH Aviation Air Rescue Base in Christchurch.

The H145 Airbus rescue helicopter has spent the last three months undergoing commissioning. Now it’s ready for action, it will join the service as a Westpac Rescue Helicopter with the tail number IGA.

“This is a defining moment for our helicopter rescue service. It signifies the start of the biggest transformation the service has seen in its 40-year history. We are buzzing with excitement to see this H145 helicopter take flight,” says Christine Prince, CEO of the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust.

In 2024, the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust launched MISSION 2026 – a major campaign to transform the rescue helicopter service. The cornerstone of MISSION 2026 was the modernisation of the rescue helicopter fleet.

In August of this year, the Trust confirmed the purchase of three H145 helicopters to service the Canterbury and West Coast region and supported the purchase of a fourth helicopter for Nelson Marlborough.

The purchase was possible thanks to the financial backing of Westpac NZ, who today announced they’re extending their commercial sponsorship to include the West Coast region and the Nelson Marlborough region, which is supported by the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter Trust.

“Buying these helicopters has been an enormous undertaking, but we believe our community deserves a world-class rescue helicopter service. That’s what these helicopters will help provide,” Prince says.

The H145 Airbus helicopter is the gold standard in air rescue. Its advanced avionics and Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) capability will enable the crew to fly more often in more adverse weather. A larger cabin provides more space to give critical care, tail and rear mounted cameras improve visibility, while a weather radar helps pilots avoid dangerous weather during flights.

Rescue helicopter pilot and IFR Training Manager Brent Fredericksen says the H145 machines will revolutionise the rescue helicopter service, vastly improving patient outcomes.

“The H145 is the ideal machine to use across our challenging South Island terrain and can be flown using Instrument Flight Rules, which means we’ll be able to fly in more adverse weather. This machine is built for rescue missions – it’s fast, reliable, and designed to save lives,” says Fredericksen.

Alongside purchasing the helicopters, the Trust has raised $1.5 million through MISSION 2026 to fund new technology, equipment, and specialist crew training.

Prince says such a significant investment in the service would not have been possible without the support of Westpac NZ, Health New Zealand, and service operator GCH Aviation. The second and third helicopters are undergoing commissioning now. The fourth will arrive in Christchurch in early 2026.

“Seeing our first H145 take flight is incredible but there’s more work to do. We need to raise a further $600,000 to get the remaining three helicopters commissioned and fully operational.”

Westpac NZ extends its support of life saving rescue helicopter service

At the launch of the first H145, Westpac NZ announced the extension of its sponsorship of the rescue helicopter to the West Coast region, which is supported by the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust, and the Nelson Marlborough region, supported by the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter Trust.

Westpac NZ has been sponsoring the rescue helicopter service in Canterbury for 30 years; this announcement will see the iconic red Westpac rescue helicopters taking pride of place across the entire mid-and-upper South Island, from Canterbury to the West Coast and up to Golden Bay and the Marlborough Sounds.

Westpac NZ Managing Director of Product, Sustainability and Marketing, Sarah Hearn, says the bank is looking forward to extending its support of the life-saving service to more South Island communities.

“Rescue chopper crews do a wonderful job all day, every day, and often in challenging conditions to help keep our communities safe. We’re immensely proud of this longstanding partnership and we’re delighted to be extending it,” Ms Hearn says.

“We already fund the nationwide marketing and administration costs of Chopper Appeal month every May, which this year raised a record $1.5m, and by extending our sponsorship arrangements we’re deepening our involvement and helping keep more Kiwi communities safe.”

Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust CEO Christine Prince says Westpac’s commitment to the rescue helicopter service is extraordinary.

"For decades, Westpac NZ has been more than a partner – they’ve been part of our mission. Westpac’s extended commitment to the rescue helicopter service is truly life-saving,” says Prince.

Critical Care Paramedic on the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Scott Mears says the support of Westpac NZ and the community means the world to the crew.

“It’s thanks to such strong community support and the work of the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust that we can welcome this new H145 into our service.

“The H145 makes all the difference. The spacious cabin gives us room to deliver critical care in flight, while its stability and advanced systems mean we can focus on the patient even in tough conditions. Having a standardised fleet will also improve efficiency and safety.

“The H145 is not just a helicopter, it’s a flying emergency room that helps us save lives when every second counts.”

The West Coast will welcome the iconic red Westpac helicopter in the first half of 2026.

Rescue helicopter takes off on more than 970 missions this year

From January to November 2025, the Canterbury West Coast Westpac Rescue Helicopter has been called out to 976 missions – 620 in Canterbury and 356 in the West Coast. Of these missions 15% involved winch operations while 18% involved the use of specialist night vision goggles.

The mission types are: Accident/Trauma 36%; Medical Emergency 30%; Patient Transfer 20%; Search and Rescue 7%; definitive mission type not supplied 8%.

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