Island Echo was recently given a behind-the-scenes tour of the new Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance base in Southampton, as the life-saving charity prepares to move into its long-awaited ‘forever home’.
The purpose-built facility beside the runway at Southampton Airport in Eastleigh marks a major step forward for the service, which currently operates out of Thruxton near Andover, with office staff based around 40 minutes away in Southampton.
The new base, which is expected to be fully operational by mid-May, will bring teams together under one roof for the very first time, improving collaboration, efficiency and patient care across the region.
Work to transform the industrial unit into a state-of-the-art base of operations has been progressing since the charity took possession of the keys in September, with local firm Rosewood Construction Services playing a key role in the development.
The site has been designed with both operational effectiveness and staff wellbeing in mind. It will feature modern crew bedrooms, replacing the current arrangement at Thruxton where crews sleep in caravans, alongside a gym, training facilities and a striking winter garden complete with a 5-metre tree at its centre.
The building will also include a visitor centre with a capacity of around 150 people. Overlooking both the hangar and helipad, it will offer community CPR training, private hire opportunities and space to better showcase the charity’s work.
The hangar itself will be heated and provide improved facilities for engineers, while the helipad directly outside will allow crews to be airborne within just 3 to 4 minutes of being tasked.
Close coordination with air traffic control will ensure rapid departures, with both NATS and AGS Airports, the owners of Southampton Airport, having supported the development.
Once operational, the new base is expected to significantly enhance response times. Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance will be able to reach anywhere on the Isle of Wight in around 10 minutes, compared to current response times of 20 to 30 minutes from Thruxton.
The helicopter typically operates between 07:00 and 02:00 each day and is staffed by a pilot alongside 2 highly trained medics, usually a doctor and an advanced paramedic. On the ground, critical care cars are crewed by 2 advanced paramedics.
Each mission costs an average of £3,500, equating to around £17,750 per day to keep the service running.
For the paramedics operating critical care cars, the new base offers immediate access to the M27 and wider motorway network, with the site located just 2 minutes from the nearest motorway junction.
The service currently has a total of 4 rapid response vehicles, with around 50% of missions carried out by air ambulance and the remaining 50% by road, depending on geography and patient need.
The move to a new home hasn’t come without significant financial commitment. The site was purchased using £9.2million from reserves, with a further £3.6million required for interior fit-out works through the Operation Airbase appeal. Thanks to the generosity of the local community, £2.8million has been raised since September 2024.
The new base will also offer a commercial opportunity, with around 50% of the building set to be leased out to generate a sustainable revenue stream for the charity.
Looking ahead, the organisation says partnership working with ambulance services, NHS trusts and neighbouring air ambulances will be key, alongside making greater use of data to further enhance patient care.
The new forever home in Southampton represents what many within the organisation describe as a very long overdue investment and is a testament to the dedication of crews who have delivered critical care for years despite operating from less suitable facilities.
Your help is still needed to continue the good work of the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance…
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance is the charity that delivers an advanced Critical Care Team to sick and injured people in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight when they need it most.
Available both day and night, 365 days a year, the Air Ambulance Critical Care Team is called out an average of seven times a day to attend road traffic collisions, sporting accidents, collapses and many other incidents.
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WOW, just Wow everyone, well done!!
WOW, just well done everyone