Nova Scotia, Canada, will need to push back its self-imposed deadline to acquire a new helicopter for LifeFlight, news outlets report. After Transport Canada banned rooftop landings for a LifeFlight-operated Sikorsky S-76A in April, the agency halted helipad landings for a Helijet International Inc. fleet of S-76Cs in British Columbia — a model that Nova Scotia was considering for the replacement.
British Columbia's day operations are, reportedly, set to pick back up. But the slowdown has already made its impact. Both LifeFlight’s S-76A (operated by Emergency Health Services) and Helijet’s S-76C were cited by Transport Canada as not meeting requirements and certifications to take off from helipads in densely populated areas.
Nova Scotia hoped to have a new emergency medical service helicopter by January. Now, the government reportedly will not be setting a new deadline as it does not have enough information to create a timeline. Among other circumstances, the province is waiting for further information from TC about which helicopters do not meet requirements and certifications.
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