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Essex & Herts Air Ambulance has secured its own Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), becoming one of only six UK air ambulance charities to operate under the certification.
The AOC, which is specifically tailored for Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS), gives the charity direct operational control over its aviation activities for the first time, including pilot employment, training, aircraft scheduling and maintenance oversight. It follows around three years of preparation work and a nine-month approval process with the CAA.
For Essex & Herts Air Ambulance, the move marks a significant shift away from outsourced aviation provision and gives the charity greater flexibility to develop and future-proof its service.
CEO Mark Jarman-Howe described the certification as “a significant step” for the organisation. “Rather than outsourcing our aviation operations to a third party, we’ve brought that accountability into the charity,” he said. “It gives us much more control over how we manage risk, develop the service and respond to future challenges.”
The certification also confirms the charity has the personnel, systems and operational oversight in place to meet the CAA’s safety requirements.
Faster turnaround than many organisations
According to Aviation Director Bill Long, the scale of work required to secure the AOC was extensive, involving the development of a bespoke operations manual of more than 1,000 pages and months of close work with the regulator.
“Obtaining our AOC is both an exciting achievement and a significant responsibility. Our team has worked exceptionally hard to meet the CAA’s stringent requirements, and this success reflects their professionalism and dedication.”
Long added that the certification gives the charity “the operational control and flexibility” to ensure the service remains “resilient, responsive and ready to serve our communities when they need us most.”
Essex & Herts Air Ambulance now joins a small group of services, including London’s Air Ambulance, Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Thames Valley Air Ambulance, that hold their own AOCs.
Pilots become part of the charity team
One of the most immediate changes under the new structure is that pilots are now directly employed by the charity rather than through an outsourced provider. Essex & Herts Air Ambulance has recruited a team of 13 pilots with military, police and civil aviation backgrounds.
Both Jarman-Howe and Long said the move has already strengthened integration between pilots, clinicians and the wider charity team.
“There used to be a separation because the pilots worked for a commercial provider,” said Long. “Now they are part of Essex & Herts Air Ambulance. They’re involved in fundraising activities, community events and much more connected to the clinicians and wider organisation.”
The change also comes at a time when the HEMS sector is facing an international shortage of experienced helicopter pilots. “There’s huge international demand for pilots,” Jarman-Howe added. “At the same time, there are fewer people coming through traditional military routes than there used to be.”
Long said pilot shortages had affected operational availability across the sector in recent years, forcing many services to rely more heavily on rapid response vehicles. “Last year we lost around a third of our operating days because of pilot shortages. That meant relying more heavily on our response cars. With the pilots now in house, we’re in a much stronger operational position.”
The charity says it has already seen an increase in flying activity this year compared with last year.
Closer working with suppliers
The new structure also changes how Essex & Herts Air Ambulance works with aviation suppliers. The charity now works directly with Leonardo, manufacturer of its AW169 helicopters, and Sloane Helicopters, which provides maintenance support for the fleet.
Under the previous arrangement, those relationships were managed through a third-party aviation operator. “We’re now able to collaborate directly with our suppliers rather than through another organisation,” said Long. “That helps with everything from maintenance planning to future innovation.”
As part of the maintenance agreement, Sloane Helicopters provides dedicated engineering support for the charity’s aircraft.
Building collaboration across the sector
Essex & Herts Air Ambulance believes the experience gained through the AOC process could also help strengthen collaboration across the wider air ambulance sector. Many UK air ambulance charities still operate through outsourced aviation arrangements or are tied into long-term contracts with external providers.
Jarman-Howe said there is increasing discussion across the sector around pilot shortages, engineering capacity and long-term operational resilience. “There’s a wider conversation happening across air ambulance services about sustainability and operational control. We want to be part of that discussion and support collaborative working where we can.”
He added that the charity sees the AOC as “a starting point rather than an endpoint” as it looks at future opportunities to support operational resilience and service development across the sector.
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