A NEW air ambulance helicopter for Oxfordshire which will fly at night for the first time is due to be delivered to the UK later this week.

The Airbus H135 helicopter, pictured, is in the final stages of being built at the Airbus Assembly Plant at Donauworth in Germany and will shortly fly to the UK.

Thames Valley Air Ambulance will take delivery of it later this year, fully equipped with specialist kit such as night vision equipment and flood-lighting for night operations.

Charity’s CEO Mark McGeown said: “This is a very exciting time as we count down the arrival of our new helicopter.

“It will be fully-equipped for night operations and this will allow us to extend our coverage into the hours of darkness, enabling medical crews to respond to more emergency calls and save more lives.

“We are expecting the helicopter to arrive in the UK later this week for its final fit out, before it is delivered to the charity in the autumn.”

Thames Valley Air Ambulance is not funded by Government and relies on donations of £2.5m a year to keep saving lives, including carrying patients between hospitals.

Since 1999, it has carried out more than 14,500 missions.