Wiltshire Air Ambulance has been grounded indefinitely after losing their flying certificate.
The Air Operator Certificate issued by the Civil Aviation Authority is understood to have been held by Heli Charter, a retailer of Bell helicopters, which ceased trading this week.
A confidential source has told Wiltshire 999s that the Bell 429 helicopter will now have to remain grounded until the issue involving the disappearance of the Air Operator Certificate is resolved.
Back in June 2018, the aircraft was grounded for several weeks after it malfunctioned – spinning out of control at high speed while the air crew were performing an engine maintenance check.
A spokesperson for Wiltshire Air Ambulance said: “Wiltshire Air Ambulance has been made aware of the difficult events at Heli Charter, our Air Operator Certificate (AOC) holder.
“At this time we express our sympathies with the staff of Heli Charter who have been affected by what is happening.
“The charity has its own contingency plan in place and its implementation has already begun.
“For some time we have been looking to secure our own AOC and those preparations are well advanced and its issuance imminent.
“We will be making no further comment at this time.”
