Island-based air ambulance service returns to Grand Manan, N.B.

An island-based air ambulance has returned to Grand Manan, N.B. after a nearly two-year gap of service.

The King Air 200 aircraft, operated by Voyageur Aviation and Ambulance NB, made its first patient transfer off the island Tuesday afternoon.

The aircraft arrived on Grand Manan this past weekend, and Mayor Bonnie Morse says it immediately brought a new sense of safety to residents.

“There was just an immense feeling of relief to know that the plane was here, that if anything happened there is a way to get from Grand Manan to the mainland in a timely fashion, so we can continue to access healthcare on the same level as the rest of the province,” says Morse.

The former island-based air ambulance was grounded after new federal rules for small and regional aircraft carriers came into effect in December 2022, regulating rest and flight times for pilots.

The federal framework was first announced in 2018. Discussions between Ambulance New Brunswick and Atlantic Charters for a new agreement under the framework weren’t successful before the deadline.

During the lapse of an island-based service, there were multiple reports of off-island aircraft being unable to land on Grand Manan due to poor weather.

Voyageur Aviation says the island’s new aircraft features improved capabilities to land and take off in poor weather conditions.

“We’ve upgraded to a type of artificial intelligence for synthetic vision,” says Paul Short, assistant chief pilot with Voyageur Aviation. “It allows the crew to see a picture of where the runway will be when they’re doing an approach into an airport like this with inclement weather.”

A new municipally-owned airplane hanger is being built for the aircraft, and should be finished this fall.

Ambulance NB says around-the-clock Advanced Care Paramedic coverage will also remain on the island.

“We’ve already seen the advantage of having them here,” says Mayor Morse. “I think for a remote community like this it’s going to be a critical part of our health care system.”

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