The Norwegian Air Ambulance Service (Norwegian: Den norske luftambulansetjenesten) is organised through the government owned limited company Luftambulansetjenesten HF (formerly Helseforetakenes Nasjonale Luftambulansetjeneste ANS). The service provides helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) and fixed-wing air ambulance operations.
Dedicated planes are provided at seven bases, and helicopters at 13. [1] In addition the service depends on the state Search and rescue helicopters for a full national coverage. The fixed-wing aircraft and HEMS helicopters are operated by the private companies Lufttransport and Norsk Luftambulanse on contract for the Air Ambulance Service. [2] The rescue helicopters are operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force 330 squadron.
Air ambulance services in Norway have been operated by private companies and the military since the 1920s, but the first dedicated service came in 1972 when the Air Force 330 squadron was equipped with Westland Sea King helicopters. The helicopters were purchased by the ministry of justice while they were to be operated by the Air Force.
In 1973 the Norwegian government started looking at possible ways to organise an air ambulance service in Norway. Before the government had made a decision, the foundation Norsk Luftambulanse had been founded in 1977 and provided one helicopter from its base in Lørenskog Municipality. In 1983 the government started buying services from the foundation, and in 1988 a nationwide air ambulance service was started where the government bought services from private companies.
By 1993 three companies had established themselves on the domestic air ambulance marked in Norway: Norsk Luftambulanse, Airlift and Lufttransport. In 2002 Norsk Luftambulanse bought the air ambulance operation from Airlift, and merged the operations. In April 2006 the Air Ambulance Service has extended its contracts with Norsk Luftambulanse and Lufttransport until 2014.
The helicopter ambulances are located on heliports at 11 hospitals around the country. The helicopters are operated by the private companies Lufttransport and Norsk Luftambulanse. Lufttransport operates a total of 10 AgustaWestland AW139 while Norsk Luftambulanse operates a total of 14 Airbus H135-T3 and H145-T2 for the service. [2]
Helicopters are stationed at the hospitals in Arendal, Bergen, Brønnøysund, Dombås, Evenes, Førde, Lørenskog, Stavanger, Tromsø, Trondheim, Ål and Ålesund. [3] The helicopters must be airborne within 15 minutes [ citation needed ].
Plane ambulances are stationed at six airports in Norway. [3] The service is provided by Lufttransport with 12 Beech King Air B200 aircraft. The airplanes are stationed at Alta Airport, Bodø Airport, Brønnøysund Airport, Gardermoen, Tromsø Airport, Kirkenes and Ålesund Airport. [3]
The Air Force 330 squadron has its headquarters at Sola Air Station outside Stavanger [ citation needed ]. The squadron operates out of four military airports: Sola Air Station, Ørland Main Air Station, Bodø Main Air Station, Banak Air Station and Rygge Air Station.
The squadron operates 12 Sea King helicopters[ citation needed ] and had 1 038 operations in 2005 [ citation needed]. RNOAF 330 Squadron is in the process of retiring its Westland Sea Kings, and replace them with Augusta Westland AW-101. As of late 2022, they have received 11 out of 16 AW-101s.
At any given time the 330 squadron has six helicopters on 15 minutes readiness, one at each station. The helicopters are under command of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre of Southern Norway located in Sola Municipality which is responsible for Southern Norway (Rygge, Sola, Florø and Ørland) and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre of Northern Norway located at Bodø which is responsible for Northern Norway (Bodø and Banak) [ citation needed]. The primary function is search and rescue (SAR) but several hundred air ambulance missions are undertaken each year.
The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian Armed Forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peacetime establishment is approximately 2,430 employees. 600 personnel also serve their draft period in the RNoAF. After mobilization, the RNoAF would consist of approximately 5,500 personnel.
Bodø Air Station is a military air base of the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) located in the town of Bodø in Bodø Municipality, Nordland county, Norway. It is home to the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons of the 331 and 332 Squadrons and a detachment of Westland Sea King search and rescue (SAR) helicopters of the 330 Squadron. Air defense is provided using NASAMS and RBS 70, with the battalion based at Bodin. About 1,000 employees work at the air station, of which 450 are conscripts. Operations at the air station are organized as the 132nd Air Wing, which includes the Norwegian Joint Headquarters at Reitan and a detachment of Sea Kings at Station Group Banak. Bodø serves as the main air station for Northern Norway and shares its 3,394-meter (11,135 ft) runway with Bodø Airport.
Ørland Main Air Station is situated at the mouth of the Trondheimsfjorden in the municipality of Ørland in Trøndelag county in the center of Norway. Ørland is operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force and is an important air base not only for Norway, but also for NATO. The air station is the base of F-35A Lightning II and F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft, Westland Sea King search and rescue helicopters and a location for E-3A Sentry AWACS. It is also the host of many NATO exercises.
Sola Air Station is a base for the Royal Norwegian Air Force. It is located in Sola municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. Rescue Helicopter Service is stationed at Sola along with Helicopter Squadron 330.
No. 330 Squadron RNoAF is a helicopter unit of the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) and is Norway's military search and rescue service. The squadron operates ten Westland Sea King helicopters based at six airbases along the coast. Headquartered at Sola Air Station, the squadron has detachments at Rygge, Florø, Ørland, Bodø and Banak. The unit's primary duty is search and rescue (SAR), with secondary duties consisting of air ambulance and disaster relief.
Lufttransport is a Norwegian helicopter and fixed-wing airline that operates primarily air ambulance helicopters and planes for the Norwegian and Swedish governments. In addition the airline offers services including surveillance for the Norwegian Coast Guard, transport of ship pilots and scheduled air transport in the Norwegian territory of Svalbard.
Stiftelsen Norsk Luftambulanse is a Norwegian humanitarian organisation, organised as a non-profit foundation. It primarily promotes and operates helicopter air ambulance services. As of 2014, they operate seven Eurocopter EC135 and one EC145 helicopters out of seven bases in Norway, based on contracts with the state through the Norwegian Air Ambulance. In Denmark, they operate three EC135 out of three bases.
Rygge Air Force Base is located in the municipalities of Moss and Råde in Østfold county, Norway. The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) operates various squadron and aircraft at the airbase, including AgustaWestland AW101 SAR Queen and Bell 412 helicopters.
Station Group Banak, formerly Banak Air Station, is a military airbase located at Banak, just north of Lakselv in Porsanger Municipality in Finnmark, Norway. Operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF), it serves a detachment of the 330 Squadron, which operates two Westland Sea King helicopters used for search and rescue operations in Finnmark, Svalbard and surrounding Arctic sea areas. Of the station's two helicopters, one is on standby at any given time. The station group is co-located with the civilian Lakselv Airport, Banak and is administratively under the 132nd Air Wing and Bodø Main Air Station. Banak is RNoAF's most northerly base and has fifty employees.
Emergency medical services in Norway are operated both by the government and private organizations such as the Norwegian People's Aid, the Norwegian Red Cross and commercial transportation companies. In most circumstances, emergency ambulance service is organized by a local Health Trust, and may be operated directly, or contracted to private providers, such as national transportation companies, for which ambulances are just a part of their business operations. Private organisations are also used frequently by the police in search & rescue operations.
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre of Northern Norway or JRCC NN is a rescue coordination center located in Bodø which is responsible for coordinating major search and rescue (SAR) operations in Norway north of the 65th parallel north. Its area of operation includes Svalbard, but excludes Jan Mayen. Established in 1970, it is a government agency subordinate to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security and led by the Chief of Police of Salten Police District. The agency has twenty-three employees and has at least two rescue controllers at work at any time.
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre of Southern Norway or JRCC SN is a rescue coordination center located in Sola which is responsible for coordinating major search and rescue (SAR) operations in Norway south of the 65th parallel north. Established in 1970, it is a government agency subordinate to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security and led by the Chief of Police of Rogaland Police District. The agency has twenty-three employees and has at least two rescue controllers at work at any time.
Ål Heliport, Medical Center is a heliport situated in Ål in Buskerud county, Norway. Used exclusively for air ambulance missions, it serves as a base for a Eurocopter EC-135P2+ operated by Norsk Luftambulanse on contract with the National Air Ambulance Service of Norway. The facility is owned by Vestre Viken Hospital Trust and is situated next to Hallingdal Medical Center.
Førde Heliport, University Hospital is a heliport situated on the premises of Førde Central Hospital in the Vie neighborhood of Sunnfjord, Norway. Used exclusively for air ambulance services, it is home to a Eurocopter EC-135P2+ operated by Norsk Luftambulanse (NLA) on contract with the National Air Ambulance Service. The base is owned by Førde Hospital Trust.
Stavanger Heliport, University Hospital is a heliport situated on the premises of Stavanger University Hospital in the Våland neighborhood of the city of Stavanger in the municipality of Stavanger in Rogaland county, Norway. Used exclusively for air ambulance services, it is home to a Eurocopter EC-135P2+ operated by Norsk Luftambulanse (NLA) on contract with the National Air Ambulance Service. The base is owned by Stavanger Hospital Trust. When it opened in 1981, it was the second such base in the country.
Arendal Heliport, Hospital is a heliport situated on the premises of Arendal Hospital in the Heimdal neighborhood of Arendal, Norway. Used exclusively for air ambulance services, it is home to a Eurocopter EC-135P2+ operated by Norsk Luftambulanse (NLA) on contract with the National Air Ambulance Service. The base is owned by Sørlandet Hospital Trust.
Tromsø Heliport, University Hospital is a heliport situated on the premises of University Hospital of North Norway in the city of Tromsø in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. Used exclusively for air ambulance services, it is home to an AgustaWestland AW139 operated by Lufttransport on contract with the National Air Ambulance Service. The base is owned by the University Hospital of North Norway. The base opened in 1988.
Ålesund Heliport, Hospital is a heliport situated on the premises of Ålesund Hospital in Ålesund, Norway. Used exclusively for air ambulance services, it is home to an AgustaWestland AW139 operated by Lufttransport on contract with the Norwegian Air Ambulance. The base is owned by the Møre og Romsdal Hospital Trust. The base opened in 1988.
Trondheim Heliport, Rosten is a heliport situated in Vestre Rosten in the Tiller neighborhood of Trondheim Norway. Used exclusively for air ambulance missions, it serves as a base for a Eurocopter EC-135P2+ operated by Norsk Luftambulanse (NLA) on contract with the National Air Ambulance Service. The original heliport was situated at Brøset Hospital and opened in 1988. The base moved to Vestre Rosten in the mid 1990s.
Mørefly A/S was an airline and general aviation company which operated between 1955 and 1995. Based in Ålesund and later Giske, Norway, it was involved in a wide range of operations, the most dominant being air ambulance services and helicopter services. Mørefly was based at Ålesund Airport, Sørneset until 1979 and thereafter at Ålesund Airport, Vigra. During its peak in the mid 1990s it had 150 employees and annual revenue of 250 million Norwegian krone (NOK).