Latest news with #helicopterMaintenance
CTV News
14-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Toronto's primary Ornge air ambulance back in service, second chopper still unavailable
An ORNGE air ambulance service helicopter sits outside a hanger at their base at Billy Bishop Airport in Toronto on Tuesday, December 13, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young Toronto's primary Ornge ambulance helicopter is back in service after it had been grounded for upkeep. Last week, supply chain issues caused in part by U.S. tariffs had resulted in maintenance delays. In a statement to CTV News on Monday, Ornge said its primary Toronto-based helicopter has returned to service, while a second one will not fly until July 18. 'Progress continues on the required maintenance for Toronto's air ambulance helicopters. During the weekend maintenance, contingency plans were activated to maintain coverage,' the statement read. It said from July 10 to 13, Ornge crews performed about 86 patient transports in their typical Toronto response area, requiring air and land ambulance resources from other bases to be deployed as needed. 'This approach to dispatch will continue as we work toward a full resumption of helicopter operations at the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, which remains our top priority,' Monday's statement added. Ornge has helicopters in Sudbury, London, and Ottawa. A source told CTV News Toronto last week that staff were informed about the status of the two helicopters in a letter from Ornge's chief aviation officer, Peter Cunnington. In the letter, Cunnington said Ornge has been experiencing 'unusually high demand for maintenance' across its AW139 fleet and that the global supply chain delays 'have caused significant extensions to maintenance timelines.' 'Despite these challenges, our maintenance teams have been working tirelessly to meet operational demands. Unfortunately, setbacks related to supply issues from our primary vendors continue to impact our progress,' the letter read. 'Manufacturers have cited ongoing disruptions tied to raw material shortages caused by U.S. tariffs and the war in Ukraine.' As of May, Ornge helicopters have airlifted 1,684 patients to Ontario hospitals. With files from CP24's Bryann Aguilar
Zawya
03-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Airbus collaborates in launching training program for Saudis in helicopter maintenance
RIYADH — Airbus joined hands with the Colleges of Excellence Company in launching a unique training program aimed at qualifying young Saudis in the field of helicopter maintenance. The ceremony of launching the Helicopters Maintenance Joint Training Program with Airbus was held on Tuesday under the patronage of Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan and in the presence of Minister of Transport and Logistics Eng. Saleh Al-Jasser. The training program was launched in the presence of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) President Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, Assistant Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Dr. Abdullah Al-Ahmari, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Colleges of Excellence Eng. Iyad Al-Qarawi, at the International Aviation Technical College in Riyadh. Eng. Ayman Al-Abdullah, CEO of Colleges of Excellence, Arnaud Montalvo, vice president of Airbus Helicopters for the Middle East and Africa, and Eng. Eid Al-Qahtani, head of Airbus's Regional Headquarters in the Kingdom, were also among the attendees. The program leverages the technical expertise of both Airbus and Colleges of Excellence in providing high-quality training content that enables trainees to acquire advanced skills in helicopter maintenance, in line with the sector's local and regional requirements. Eng. Naif Al-Matrafi, head of Marketing and Business Development at Colleges of Excellence, said that training in this program is scheduled to begin at the start of the next training year, and that participants will receive a higher diploma in helicopter maintenance. "The program aims to achieve a 100 percent employment rate for those enrolled in the program to work in military and civilian agencies," he said while noting that the launch of this program falls within the framework of Colleges of Excellence's approach to building strategic partnerships with major international companies in the aviation sector. With the aim of transferring knowledge and empowering national cadres with advanced technical skills, the program's launch was an extension of an effective strategic partnership between the two parties. © Copyright 2022 The Saudi Gazette. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
