Metro Aviation unveils concept medical interior mockup for Airbus H140 at AMTC 2026
Why It MattersOperators shaping cabin layouts with the manufacturer before certification shows how air medical fleets increasingly tailor new light twins to mission configurations such as critical care, neonatal and pediatric transport.
What happened
Metro Aviation, based in Shreveport, Louisiana, is unveiling a full-scale mockup of a medical interior for the Airbus H140 light twin-engine helicopter at the Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC) 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas. The company said the interior is still at the concept stage and that it wants attendee feedback to shape the final configuration.
The H140, introduced at Verticon 2025 in Dallas, is positioned between the H135 and H145. It offers about 20 percent more cabin volume than the H135, a completely flat floor, enlarged rear clamshell doors and a raised Fenestron-equipped T-tail boom. It also has a five-bladed main rotor, Safran Arrius 2E engines and Airbus's Helionix avionics suite.
Metro representatives made several trips to Airbus facilities in Europe during development and said their input influenced features including the flat floor, floor track spacing, cabin accessibility and rear loading arrangement. The company built its initial concept from 3D aircraft models supplied by Airbus and measurements gathered during those visits, and has adapted it as the aircraft design nears finalization.
Key features of Metro's design include a centralized medical control console that groups communications, oxygen, electrical connections, equipment controls and storage; a new aft medical storage cabinet; compatibility with the Stryker Power-PRO powered stretcher system; and numerous mounting locations around the windows, overhead areas and aft cabinet. Components are removable and repositionable so operators can tailor the cabin to missions such as critical care, neonatal and pediatric transport.
After AMTC, Metro will review suggestions for the next development phase. Under its purchase agreement, Metro is scheduled to receive 12 H140 helicopters: the first in the fourth quarter of 2028, one in 2029, three in 2030 and seven in 2031. Final certification requirements and timelines have not been determined. Founded in 1982, Metro Aviation provides air medical operations, helicopter completions and maintenance.
Industry impact & what to watch
Launch-customer involvement of this kind is a familiar way for air medical operators to influence a new airframe before it enters service. Metro's account ties specific cabin features, namely the flat floor, floor track spacing and rear loading arrangement, to its visits to Airbus facilities in Europe, which suggests the cabin geometry of a light twin is now being settled partly by the people who will configure it for patients.
The design also reflects how medical interiors are bought: as modular systems rather than fixed layouts. Removable, repositionable components and many mounting points let one airframe serve critical care, neonatal and pediatric work, which matters for operators that must justify a helicopter across several mission types.
The next milestone is Metro's post-AMTC review of attendee suggestions for the following development phase. The delivery schedule, with one aircraft in the fourth quarter of 2028 and seven in 2031, means most of the order lands well after that review, leaving time for the configuration to change before the bulk of the fleet arrives.
