Air Ambulance Week 2025 takes flight across the UK this week until 14th September, with air ambulance charities delivering a vital message: ‘Every Mission Starts With You.’
Organised by Air Ambulances UK, the national charity supporting the lifesaving work of the UK’s 21 air ambulance charities, the week is dedicated to raising awareness and funds for the lifesaving pre-hospital care delivered daily by air ambulance crews.
Air ambulance charities collectively respond to over 48,000 missions each year – around 134 every single day – bringing the hospital to the patient at the scene of the most serious incidents. These missions are delivered at no cost to the patient and are funded almost entirely by public donations.
From treating people involved in major road traffic collisions to attending life-threatening cardiac arrests, falls, and medical emergencies in remote locations, air ambulance charities form a vital part of the UK’s frontline emergency services – working in partnership with the NHS but receiving no day-to-day government funding.
This year’s campaign puts the focus on those who make each mission possible – the public. Whether you choose to donate, fundraise, or simply help spread the word, you are a critical part of every mission.
Lindsay Boswell, CEO of Air Ambulances UK, said:
“Every mission starts with someone choosing to support their local air ambulance charity – and that someone could be you. Whether you’re making a donation, organising a fundraiser or simply telling others about the work air ambulance charities do, your actions help save lives. Air Ambulance Week is the perfect time to get involved and be part of something truly lifesaving.”
Support from the Prime Minister
The importance of air ambulance charities has also been recognised at the highest level of government.
In a dedicated letter for Air Ambulance Week, Prime Minister Rt Hon Keir Starmer MP praised the lifesaving work carried out across the UK:
“With crews dispatched to an average of 134 missions daily, delivering hospital-level care at the scene of serious incidents… these services are a lifeline for thousands across the country.”
You can read the Prime Minister’s full letter of support here: Prime Minister’s message for Air Ambulance Week.
Air ambulance charities bring together advanced clinical skills, specialist equipment, and rapid response times to deliver critical care directly to patients when they need it most. They perform complex procedures at the scene, improving outcomes and giving patients the very best chance of survival.
The average mission costs around £4,165* – funded almost entirely by donations. There are currently 38 air ambulance helicopters in the UK, operated by 21 regional air ambulance charities, many of which also operate critical care cars.
By supporting your local air ambulance charity, you’re helping to keep these essential services in the air and on the road – reaching people in their moment of greatest need.
This Air Ambulance Week, Air Ambulances UK are sharing the stories of people whose lives have been saved thanks to this vital service. One such story is Cora’s.
When one-year-old Cora suffered a prolonged seizure before specialist life-saving medicine could reach her, her mother knew time was running out. Living 45 minutes from hospital, she feared the ambulance would not arrive in time.
Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) was dispatched within minutes, carrying a specialist doctor-led team with the medication and skills needed to save Cora’s life. They arrived just 15 minutes after the emergency call, stabilising her before she was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
Her mother said:
“Without them, we could have lost our little girl. They saved her life – and probably mine as well.”
You can read Cora’s full story and other patient stories here: https://www.airambulancesuk.org/saving-lives/patient-stories/.
To show your support this Air Ambulance Week, visit www.airambulancesuk.org/donate-now to make a one-off donation or get in touch with your local air ambulance charity to find out how you can get involved.
Because Every Mission Starts With You.
Air Ambulance Week Fact Finder
• There are 21 individual air ambulance charities in the UK, which provide pre-hospital care support to the NHS and form an important part of the UK’s frontline emergency services.
• There are 38 air ambulance helicopters operated across the 21 individual air ambulance charities.
• Air ambulance charities collectively make an average of over 134 lifesaving missions every day – that’s over 48,000 a year.
• The average cost of an air ambulance mission is around £4,165* and each one is funded almost entirely by donations. *cost varies depending on geography, patient need, clinical and operational models of the local air ambulance charity.
• Among the most frequent type of lifesaving missions are to people seriously injured in road traffic collisions and those experiencing a sudden cardiac-related medical emergency.
*Mission costs vary depending on geography, patient need, clinical setup and operational models of the local air ambulance charity.
