The Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare awarded a 10-year contract to EPAIR to provide services for the islands of Penghu and Matsu using three Leonardo AW169 helicopters, while choosing Executive Aviation Taiwan to provide services on the Kinmen islands flying Embraer Phenom 300 jets.


The new private air ambulance services were launched in August 2018 with much fanfare after EPAIR leased three AW169s from Waypoint Leasing based in Ireland. In a well-publicized ceremony, Taiwan Premier Lai Ching-te noted that he especially understood the need to improve air ambulance services on the outlying islands because he is a physician who served in the military on Kinmen. The Taiwan National Airborne Service Corps (NASC) would continue to provide backup services, the premier said during the ceremony.


It took EPAIR an entire year to obtain its air operator’s certificate. EPAIR stationed one AW169 on Penghu, one on Matsu and one


78 Mar/Apr 2020


on the main island of Taiwan. EPAIR’s headquarters are located at the Taichung International Airport in Taichung City, on the western side of the main island. The 24/7 cost-efficient services mark a new era for civilian helicopter operations.


For its air ambulance service, EPAIR continued its long-standing tradition of hiring former Taiwanese military pilots. It sent 18 ATPL pilots and 12 mechanics to earn AW169 type ratings from Leonardo’s training school in Italy. The pilots also are certified by Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration. EPAIR maintains and repairs its helicopters in-house.


EPAIR’s modernized fleet has been greatly beneficial to residents of the smaller outlying islands. The government contract calls for 24/7 services with an estimated 360 flight hours annually each for Penghu and Matsu, Lee said. In its first full year of service in 2019, EPAIR flew approximately 180 EMS missions to and from Penghu (on approximately two-hour round trips). It flew approximately


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