Helijet International is donating a fully operational, medically equipped helicopter from its fleet to be used for missions of mercy in Ukraine. Helijet has signed an agreement with a consortium of Canadian and Ukrainian non-governmental organizations Maple Hope Foundation, the Ukrainian World Congress, and Initiative E+ to accept the delivery and title of a Sikorsky S-76A air ambulance helicopter. Together, the three organizations have been working with Helijet over the span of eight months to arrange the shipment of the aircraft to Ukraine.

The Sikorsky S-76A is a fully equipped air medical helicopter that Helijet had previously provided under contract to the Ministry of Health for patient transport in B.C. The aircraft has now been recently removed from that service but still has years of flight capability remaining. The gift is made on condition that the helicopter is used solely for non-commercial, humanitarian, and medical evacuation missions to airlift individuals in need of urgent medical care to hospitals in Ukraine.

In November, Helijet and the Vancouver-based Maple Hope Foundation hosted two pilots and two engineers from Ukraine who came here to receive flight, maintenance and deployment training for the helicopter at Helijet’s Richmond, B.C. base of operations. To assist in the shipment of the helicopter, the Maple Hope Foundation also launched a national online crowdfunding campaign that allowed Ukrainians from across Canada join the mission of delivering this life-saving helicopter. The campaign raised $101,530 in three weeks from more than 730 donors.