RICHMOND, BC – Richmond-based Helijet International has secured a two-year, $9 million contract extension to provide the British Columbia Ambulance Service with dedicated Learjet air medical services.

The contract, which commences April 2010, will see North America’s largest scheduled helicopter service dedicate its Bombardier Learjet 31A aircraft to flying critical care patients throughout British Columbia, Canada, and beyond, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Every year, BC Ambulance Service paramedics and Helijet flight crew provide air medical transfers and critical care for more than 600 adults and infants. Last year, Helijet’s air medical fleet (two Sikorsky S-76 air ambulance helicopters and one Learjet 31A jet) flew over 1,000,000 kilometres for the BC Ambulance Service.

“We’re proud to play such a key role in the delivery of critical health care to communities and people throughout the province,” said Danny Sitnam, president and CEO, Helijet. “This continued service provision is a reflection of the experience and dedication of our flight crew, engineers, and the entire Helijet team on the ground.”

Helijet International Inc. is a Canadian-owned company and is North America’s largest scheduled helicopter service. Helijet began flying between Victoria and the mainland in 1986 and has carried more than 1.9 million passengers in the past 23 years and has been operating dedicated air medically equipped aircraft for the Province of British Columbia for the past 12 years.