NZ Air Ambulance Service adopts eVTOL for cost-effective, carbon-neutral flights

• New Zealand Air Ambulance Service (NZAAS) has bought two electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) from Beta Technologies.
• The eVTOLs will enable all-electric inter-hospital transfers, increasing rescue helicopter availability.
• The aircraft, similar in size to a helicopter, are designed for carbon-neutral and efficient patient transport.

New Zealand’s largest air ambulance and specialised air charter operator has announced it has bought electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) to conduct its operations nationwide.

From 2028, New Zealand Air Ambulance Service (NZAAS) will have an eVTOL aircraft manufactured by Beta Technologies, an electric aerospace company based in Burlington, Vermont, in the United States.

NZAAS has placed a deposit-backed order for two Alia eVTOLs (with an additional 10 options) from Beta to add to its current fleet of 12 fixed-wing aircraft.

According to Beta, the Alia eVTOL offers a reliable, low-cost and quiet platform for air transport and “is well equipped to navigate the diverse terrain of New Zealand”.

Annabel Toogood, chief executive of NZAAS' parent company Skyline Healthcare Group, said the organisation had always been future focused and introducing “Beta’s cutting-edge eVTOL technology” into the NZAAS would complement its fleet of fixed-wing and jet aircraft.

“This innovative solution redefines air ambulance operations, allowing us to undertake inter-hospital transfers from hospital to hospital in a safe and carbon-neutral platform which will increase rescue helicopter availability for pre-hospital missions and offer patient transfers at nearly half the cost of traditional rescue helicopters,” Toogood said.

“By integrating eVTOL technology, we aim to bridge the gap for rural and vulnerable communities, providing seamless access to essential care.”

NZAAS group quality, safety and sustainability manager Dylan Robinson said the eVTOLs were a similar size to a helicopter.

“They’ve got a large cargo door and they also sit quite close to the ground, so they’ll be great for passenger loading and unloading,” Robinson said.

“It’s not replacing the rescue helicopters because it can’t do things like winching, but for patients that need to get from hospital to hospital, it’s the ideal machine.”

NZAAS operates at six bases, including Napier, and offers patient transport throughout New Zealand, the South Pacific and beyond.

This marks the second New Zealand-based customer for Beta, with Air New Zealand flying its battery-electric aircraft from April 2025.

Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and spent the past 15 years working in radio and media in Auckland, London, Berlin and Napier. He reports on all stories relevant to residents of the region, along with pieces on art, music and culture.