Uncertain future for emergency helicopter service

Jan 21 2010 by William Green, The Journal

And Defence Minister Quentin Davies has been unable to confirm how many new helicopters will be introduced or detail plans of the switch to the new system.

Fellow Defence Minister Lord Drayson said the competition to find companies to bring together the service currently provided by his Department and the Coastguard agency continued.

Two industrial consortia, AirKnight and Soteria, were "actively engaged", he said.

But Sir Alan Beith said: "The whole process is taking longer than it was intended to. I pressed strongly that Boomer should remain a 24-hour station.”