Metro Aviation unveiled its new Airbus H140 medical interior concept this week at the Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC) in Fort Worth, Texas, introducing a modular design developed in close collaboration with Airbus and informed by years of feedback from air medical operators.
Designed to address the evolving needs of helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS), the interior takes advantage of the H140’s larger cabin and redesigned rear floor. Unlike the H135’s rounded rear floor edge, the H140 features a straight rear edge that allows stretchers to align squarely with the cabin entrance, reducing the potential for misalignment or slipping during loading and unloading. The improved configuration provides greater flexibility and accessibility for medical crews.
The concept incorporates a centralized medical console, multiple equipment mounting locations, an aft storage cabinet and provisions for a powered stretcher system. Together, these features are designed to improve access to critical equipment, maximize usable cabin space and support a variety of medical transport requirements.
“We’ve spent years listening to what medical crews need from their aircraft,” said Amy McMullen, Director of Aircraft Configuration at Metro Aviation. “With the H140, we have an opportunity to take that feedback and develop an interior around how they actually work, rather than asking them to adapt to the aircraft.”
Metro has collaborated extensively with Airbus throughout the H140’s development, providing operator feedback and working alongside the manufacturer to evaluate cabin functionality and medical transport requirements during multiple visits to the manufacturer’s facilities in Germany.
“Airbus has been incredibly receptive throughout this process,” said Shawn Bruton, Part 145 Director of Maintenance at Metro Aviation. “We’ve worked closely with their team to help shape the interior of an aircraft that addresses many of the challenges we’ve seen in previous platforms.”
A primary focus of the new interior is modularity. Multiple equipment mounting locations and customizable components will allow operators to configure the cabin according to their specific medical equipment and operational needs, including critical care and specialty transport.
The H140’s improved rear loading configuration also addresses longstanding challenges associated with patient loading in smaller helicopters, while the larger cabin offers improved accessibility around the patient during flight.
The mockup displayed at AMTC represents an initial concept rather than the final production design. Metro will use the conference to gather feedback from medical crews and operators, helping guide continued development and refinement of the interior.
“What we’re bringing to AMTC is a starting point,” Bruton said. “We want people to walk through it, tell us what works, tell us what doesn’t, and help us make it better.”
As a U.S. launch customer for the H140, Metro Aviation will receive North America’s first aircraft to develop and obtain its own Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the air medical interior. Metro has reached an agreement with Airbus for 12 H140 aircraft, with deliveries anticipated between 2028 and 2031, subject to Airbus’ production schedule. The company also holds options for an additional 24 aircraft, bringing the potential total to 36 H140s.
The H140 medical interior concept will be on display at the Airbus booth during AMTC 2026, October 26–28, in Fort Worth, Texas.
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