A medically equipped helicopter donated by Richmond-based Helijet International has arrived in Ukraine.
The Sikorsky S-76A helicopter left Richmond in early February and took nearly two months to arrive in Kyiv.
Until recently, the helicopter was used as a backup for air medical service by the Ministry of Health for patient transport in B.C.
The Sikorsky will now be used for non-commercial, humanitarian and medical evacuation missions in Ukraine to airlift victims needing urgent medical care to hospitals.
Ukrainian engineers trained by Helijet in operating the aircraft and maintenance procedures will be reassembling and testing it before putting it into service, according to Helijet International.
Helijet International President Danny Sitnam flew to Ukraine this week to oversee the handover of the aircraft and to get a sense of the conditions in Ukraine.
“Once you’re here, what the war has done to the Ukrainian people and their villages and cities suddenly becomes real in a way that just can’t be fully conveyed in the reports we see on the news,” said Sitnam.
“Having helped with various Ukrainian relief efforts in Canada since the Russian invasion began here three years ago, I knew simply gifting one of our now-surplus aircraft for use over here would make a positive impact."
Sitnam is encouraging other Canadian companies in the aviation industry to join in with any spare aircraft from their fleets to help the people of Ukraine.
"The people here will appreciate any help, more than you can know.”
The donation of the Sikorsky was possible under an agreement between Helijet and a consortium of non-governmental organizations, including Maple Hope Foundation and the Ukrainian World Congress.
What makes the donation of the Sikorsky S-76A even more special is that it's a product of U.S.-based Sikorsky Aircraft, founded a century ago by Kyiv-born helicopter inventor Igor Sikorsky.
Svitlana Kominko, CEO of Maple Hope Foundation, said the donation of the Sikorsky comes "full circle" symbolically.
"Igor Sikorsky himself was born in Kyiv and surely had no idea that his invention of 100 years ago would become part of the effort to save lives in his own native country today," said Kominko.
She added that the gift from Sitnam and Helijet is a reflection of the support from Canadians.
"Danny doesn't have a single drop of Ukrainian blood in him, but he understands the importance of providing support to help people in desperate need, whoever or wherever they may be."
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