This month marks 80 years of service for the Saskatchewan Air Ambulance.

The planes have transported nearly 78,500 people over the years as the oldest formally organized, non-military air medical transport program in North America.

SAA operates four medically equipped airplanes, with services available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The service crisscrosses the province, providing residents from all corners of Saskatchewan with fast transport to the nearest medical centre in the case of an emergency.

SAA completes about 1,500 patient transfers annually, equipped with specially trained air medical crews such as critical care flight nurses and critical care paramedics.

Saskatchewan Health Authority Chief Operating Officer Derek Miller says, “Saskatchewan Air Ambulance is a critical partner in ensuring patients receive rapid, lifesaving care. This anniversary recognizes the many lives saved over eight decades and the essential role SAA plays in transporting patients to receive the care they need, no matter where they live in the province.”