Airfield Lighting Systems has announced the successful installation of a complete heliport lighting system for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance. Delivered as part of a £3.6 million investment in a new purpose-built airbase at Southampton Airport, the high-precision system is one of the measures enabling medical teams deliver faster, more effective trauma care across the region.

Operating day and night, the new helipad is designed to allow current and next-generation air ambulances to land safely in all weather conditions, including night missions utilizing night-vision goggles. ALS worked closely with HIOWAA to design a tailored lighting and power control package that meets stringent operational requirements while remaining cost-effective for the publicly funded charity, whose life-saving missions cost an average of £3,500 each.

After a serious injury, rapid access to expert treatment is critical. Every minute saved directly influences patient recovery, driving emergency services to continually optimize their operations. In June 2026, HIOWAA officially relocated its helicopter operations from Thruxton – where it had been based since 2007 – to the new, state-of-the-art facility at Southampton Airport. With data showing that 70 percent of emergencies occur in the southern region near densely populated areas like Portsmouth, Southampton, Winchester, and the Isle of Wight, the strategic move cuts response times dramatically.

Available 365 days a year, the HIOWAA critical care team has halved its response times and can now reach almost every patient in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight within 10 minutes of take-off. The new two-storey facility features a full helicopter hangar, administrative space, dedicated aftercare facilities, on-site crew accommodation, training suites, and a garage for the charity’s fleet of emergency response vehicles.

“It’s about giving someone who has just experienced the worst moment of their life the very best chance of making it home,” said Dr. Chris Hill, HIOWAA Medical Director and Consultant in Emergency Medicine at University Hospital Southampton. “As emergency doctors, we’re responding to unpredictable environments and often find we are first on the scene. If a procedure needs to be carried out or a drug administered, we need to do that as early as possible. Instead of providing that care 20 or 30 minutes after an injury, we can now do so within five or 10 minutes.”

“The new location is unlocking immense potential for the future of our service,” Dr. Hill added. “Having a flexible, state-of-the-art facility allows us to reset and redeploy faster – even in challenging conditions.”

Using expertise gained from Southampton Airport’s 2024 runway extension, ALS partnered with CAMGO Electrical to supply and commission 40 airfield lighting fittings on the touch-down and lift-off and final approach and take-off areas. The installation also included a new constant current regulator and pilot-controlled radio activation system, enabling direct lighting control from the aircraft.

“By combining our specialized airfield lighting technology with HIOWAA’s operational vision, we’ve delivered a precision system – from pilot-controlled lighting to solar-powered guard units – that ensures safe landings in all conditions,” said Keith Spicer, Managing Director of Airfield Lighting Systems. “This program is about more than supplying hardware; it’s about providing the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance team with the dependable infrastructure they need to reach patients faster and save lives.”