Metro Aviation Unveils First H140 Medical Interior at AMTC 2026: Centralized Medical Console, Stryker Power-PRO Compatibility, 12 Aircraft from Q4 2028

Published: October 27, 2026  |  Category: Industry

Half the value of an air medical helicopter is in the cabin — whether the stretcher loads smoothly and whether medical crews can work comfortably around the patient determines the quality of the transport itself. Per Vertical Mag industry reporting (published October 26, 2026; accessed and verified October 27, 2026): Metro Aviation of Shreveport, Louisiana, has unveiled a full-scale mockup of its all-new medical interior for the Airbus H140 at the Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC) 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas — the industry's first close look at where the medical configuration of this light twin-engined helicopter is heading. Under Metro's purchase agreement with Airbus, Metro is scheduled to receive 12 H140s: the first in the fourth quarter of 2028, one in 2029, three in 2030 and seven in 2031. This article unpacks the news facts and design details, and examines what the new aircraft's medical configuration means for aviation medical coordination/dispatch services.

1. The Story: H140 Medical Interior Mockup Debuts at AMTC 2026, Four Years of Metro–Airbus Collaboration

Per the Vertical Mag report, Metro Aviation displayed a full-scale mockup of the H140 medical interior at AMTC 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas, giving attendees an early look at improvements in patient care, crew mobility and medical systems integration, and inviting their input on the final configuration. Founded in 1982, Metro Aviation is a leading provider of air medical operations, helicopter completions, maintenance and training, with years of experience completing medical interiors for the Airbus H135 and H145. This was not a matter of simply adapting an existing layout to a new airframe — Metro representatives traveled to Airbus facilities in Europe throughout the H140's development, advising on cabin design and functionality, and several key features including the flat floor, floor track spacing, cabin accessibility and rear loading arrangement were influenced by Metro's feedback. "Airbus has been incredibly receptive throughout this process. We've made multiple trips to Germany, shared feedback from our customers, and worked closely with their team to help shape an aircraft that addresses many of the challenges we've seen in previous platforms," said Amy McMullen, Metro Aviation's director of aircraft configuration.

2. The Airframe: H140 Fills the Gap Between H135 and H145, with a Cabin Designed for the Mission

To understand the interior, you first need to understand the H140. Per the report, the H140 was introduced at Verticon 2025 in Dallas, designed to fill the gap between the H135 and the H145 — a larger cabin while retaining the efficiency of a light twin. Aimed at the HEMS market, it offers roughly 20 percent more cabin volume than the H135, a completely flat floor, enlarged rear clamshell doors, and a raised "T-Tail" boom (Fenestron tail rotor) to improve patient loading; it incorporates a five-bladed main rotor, new Safran Arrius 2E engines and the Airbus Helionix avionics suite. For Metro, the H140 is an opportunity to build a product around the requirements and requests of medical teams rather than adapting an existing layout to a new aircraft — and the design language on display at AMTC offers the global industry a preview of what a "next-generation medical cabin" could look like.

3. Design Details: Four Changes That Directly Affect Transport Quality

1) A centralized medical console. Among the most significant changes, the report notes, is the relocation of the medical control console to a centralized position, bringing communications, oxygen, electrical connections, medical equipment controls and storage together in an area that is easier for crew members to reach — reducing the need to lean across a patient to operate critical systems. 2) An aft medical storage cabinet. Responding to requests from operators in both Europe and the United States, the new design adds an aft medical storage cabinet, providing organized storage in an area that has often been relegated to holding a single medical bag. 3) Stryker Power-PRO compatibility. The larger cabin accommodates the Stryker Power-PRO powered stretcher system, giving medical personnel greater freedom to move around the patient and access systems during transport; in addition, the H140's straight rear edge — unlike the H135's rounded rear floor edge — allows stretchers to align squarely with the cabin entrance, reducing the potential for misalignment or slipping during loading and unloading. 4) Multiple modular mounting locations. Throughout the cabin, mounting points around the windows, overhead areas and aft cabinet allow monitors, medical devices and other equipment to be positioned where they are needed most; removable and repositionable components let operators tailor equipment placement and storage to individual requirements — flexibility especially important for programs handling critical care, neonatal and pediatric transports and other specialized operations.

4. Three Takeaways

1) "Medical configuration" is becoming a new yardstick of carrier quality. Console position, stretcher compatibility, storage and mounting layout determine the quality of in-cabin care — and the feasibility of transporting specific conditions; when evaluating a carrier resource, clients should look beyond aircraft type and price and ask: "What is this aircraft's medical configuration, and what equipment can it accommodate?" 2) Platform renewal is gradual; mature aircraft remain the workhorses for years. First H140 deliveries arrive only in Q4 2028, so near-term capacity will continue to be led by mature platforms such as the H135 and H145 — coordination services should track new-aircraft developments while deepening the equipment boundary and capability list of existing platforms. 3) "Making crews' work more comfortable" is the common direction of next-generation cabins. A centralized console that reduces reaching across the patient, a straight rear edge that lowers stretcher-loading risk, modular mounting that raises mission adaptability — the core of these improvements is the same: shifting transport risk from "people adapting to equipment" to "equipment adapting to the mission." It is progress at this level of detail that builds the next line of moat in the air medical industry.

From mockup to production interior there is still a long way to go; but this AMTC 2026 debut shows that next-generation medical helicopters are putting the in-cabin experience of patients and crews at the center of design. For families arranging air medical transport, the story is also a reminder worth keeping: when evaluating a transport service, ask one more question — "on this flight, how will the patient actually be cared for on board?"

Disclaimer: The facts in this article are drawn from the Vertical Mag industry report "Metro Aviation unveils first H140 medical interior at AMTC 2026" (published October 26, 2026; accessed and verified October 27, 2026). All facts attributed above — Metro Aviation unveiling a full-scale H140 medical interior mockup at AMTC 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas; Metro Aviation's founding in 1982 and its role; the H140's introduction at Verticon 2025 in Dallas and its cabin volume/flat floor/clamshell doors/T-Tail boom/five-bladed main rotor/Safran Arrius 2E engines/Helionix avionics; Metro's cabin-design influence on the flat floor, floor track spacing, cabin accessibility and rear loading arrangement; the centralized medical console; the aft medical storage cabinet; Stryker Power-PRO compatibility; the straight rear edge improving stretcher loading; multiple modular mounting locations; coverage of critical care and neonatal/pediatric transports; the statements of Amy McMullen and Shawn Bruton; Metro being scheduled to receive 12 H140s under its purchase agreement (first in Q4 2028, one in 2029, three in 2030, seven in 2031); and the H140 being approximately two years from its planned entry into service — are as recounted in that report. The industry analysis and coordination-value discussion in this article are general analysis and do not constitute legal, medical or operational-licensing advice; civilian air medical transport must be executed by carrier organizations and medical institutions holding the appropriate qualifications. BOOZOUN is an aviation medical coordination and dispatch service provider, not a carrier or medical institution; flight medical teams are dispatched by partner medical institutions. In an emergency, call local emergency services immediately.