Air ambulances cleared to land at B.C. hospitals

Air ambulances will be landing on helipads attwo B.C. hospitals once again after the flights were suspended at several locations earlier this year.

Helijet International, which is contracted toB.C. Emergency Health Services, stopped landing at sevenhospitals on Vancouver Island and the South Coast in March after Transport Canada raised technical concerns.

While the flights were restricted, the air ambulances were diverted to alternative landing sites nearby. Patients were then transported to the hospitals by ground.

Some flights were reinstated at five of the sevenhospitals in August,after Transport Canada issuedan exemption.

Service was still restricted for night flights at Vancouver General Hospital and all flights to Royal Columbian and Surrey Memorial Hospital.

Last weekTransport Canada,Helijet, and an independent aviation expert were able to create a new certificate to add to the aircraft'sflight manual.

Service is expected to resume at theremaining locations on Friday.

The affected hospitals were:

• B.C. Children's Hospital and B.C. Women's Hospital(Vancouver).
• Vancouver General Hospital.
• Royal Columbian Hospital(New Westminster).
• Surrey Memorial Hospital.
• Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.
• St. Joseph's Hospital(Comox).
• Sechelt Hospital.