Mission Health’s Mountain Area Medical Airlift (MAMA) recently visited Metro Aviation to take delivery of their new Airbus EC145e, the lightweight twin-engine helicopter that has become increasingly sought after throughout the air medical industry.

MAMA operates 24 hours per day, providing air medical services to western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee,  northeast Georgia, and northern South Carolina.  MAMA’s new aircraft replaces an aging EC135 and is the first EC145 variant in their fleet.  With this new purchase, the program gains a dedicated, branded backup aircraft and a 32% increase in cabin space.

“We’re really excited about our new EC145e that Metro Aviation completed for us,” said John Grindstaff, MAMA Supervisor.  “It’s going to enhance our capabilities, increase capacity for specialty teams, and increase our safety margins.”

The EC145e is IFR-equipped and includes Metro Aviation’s medical interior with integrated medical floor, 10 liter liquid oxygen system, and custom medical walls for mounting equipment.

“It is exciting to see the confidence that leading air medical providers are placing in the EC145e,” said Metro Aviation part-owner and Director of Business Integration Todd Stanberry.  “MAMA is a pioneer in the industry, and we are looking forward to adding this aircraft to the Metro fleet and watching MAMA leverage its capabilities.”

MAMA performs nearly 90 flights per month, covering 10,000 square miles in 2-3 flights per day.  They have been part of the Metro family since 2017.