Gama Aviation has launched a judicial review after losing the Guernsey and Jersey air ambulance contract to 247 Aviation, with the new service due to start in December. The dispute centres on a joint procurement process for the lifeline emergency medevac operation across the Channel Islands, where Gama has run the service since August 2020.
Guernsey’s Royal Court is examining whether the tender process was transparent and rational, including objections over a late aircraft requirement change in Jersey and the scoring used in Guernsey. Court evidence also indicated Gama was given a chance to strengthen its bid but still ranked below 247 Aviation, which the islands selected as the preferred operator.
The existing agreement, originally awarded for five years, was extended earlier this year while the new procurement ran. The contract has not yet been signed, leaving the planned transition unresolved while the hearing continues. 247 Aviation is understood to have scored more strongly on areas including spare aircraft, sustainability, resilience, risk management and bariatric-patient capability.