Metro Aviation
Metro Aviation is a family-owned helicopter operator and completion center that runs the world's largest traditional air medical fleet, operating 170+ aircraft across 40+ hospital programs in 25+ U.S. states, and completes ~35 customized EMS and law enforcement aircraft annually.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersShreveport, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Metro Aviation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Metro Aviation
- Legal name
- Metro Aviation, Inc.
- Website
- https://metroaviation.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Metro Aviation is a family-owned helicopter operator and completion center that runs the world's largest traditional air medical fleet, operating 170+ aircraft across 40+ hospital programs in 25+ U.S. states, and completes ~35 customized EMS and law enforcement aircraft annually.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Metro Aviation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Air Medical Transport & Helicopter Completion Services
- NAICS
- Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812), Nonscheduled Air Transportation (48121), Support Activities for Air Transportation (4881)
- SIC
- Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522), Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Air Medical Transport (Helicopter/Fixed-Wing) (HLAFANAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Helicopter Medical Passenger Transport (Non-Emergency) (TLAFACAI), Medical Air Transport (Air Ambulance/Patient Transfer) (TLAFABAG), Helicopter Air Taxi / Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Services (TLAFACAC)
Keywords
Where Metro Aviation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Shreveport
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Metro Aviation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Aircraft Completions: Metro completes approximately 35 aircraft per year for U.S. customers and global clients, installing full air medical and law enforcement kits, components and avionics packages. They hold more than 30 Supplemental Type Certificates (STC).
- Operations Services: Full operational support including aircraft operations, maintenance, dispatch, and pilot staffing for air medical programs across 40+ programs in over 25 states.
- Product Support and Parts: Maintenance support, spare parts supply, and access to Metro management services. They maintain ample supply of spare parts and invest nearly twice what competitors invest per aircraft in initial inventory.
- Training and Education: Metro U leadership development program, LMS systems, and training center services for internal and customer personnel.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Metro Aviation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Metro Aviation is a family-owned helicopter services company that operates air medical transport programs (over 160 aircraft across 40+ programs in 25+ states) and provides customized helicopter completions, including air medical interiors, law enforcement mission systems, and avionics installations backed by more than 30 Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs). The company delivers vertically integrated services including aircraft operations, maintenance, dispatch, pilot staffing, parts supply, and training.
Product overview
Metro Aviation is a family-owned air medical operator and helicopter completion center offering a comprehensive portfolio of aviation services. The company operates over 170 aircraft across 40+ programs in 27 states, providing traditional air medical transport operations, full aircraft completions (air medical and law enforcement), maintenance, and customer support. Core offerings include helicopter completions with over 30 STCs, the flagship EC145e platform (43 ordered), fixed-wing completions via Metro Gulf division, and the proprietary MetroAlert App. The company is expanding into next-generation rotorcraft with H160 EMS interior STC development and has ordered 20 BETA Technologies ALIA VTOL aircraft for future electric air medical transport.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MetroAlert App: A lifesaving app that can reduce response time by up to five minutes. When air transport is needed, hospitals and first responders can use MetroAlert to instantly notify one of Metro Aviation's bases and send GPS coordinates.
Products and services
- Helicopter Completions Full-service aircraft completions center installing air medical and law enforcement kits, components, and avionics packages for new and existing customers, with experience in offshore, utility, VIP, and corporate aircraft.
- Air Medical Transport Operations Traditional air medical helicopter operator providing complete operational support including aircraft operations, maintenance, dispatch, and pilot staffing for hospital systems across the U.S.
- Air Medical Interior Completions Custom air medical interiors for various helicopter platforms including H135, H145, and EC145e, with the latest 2.0 version featuring relocated communication panels and maximized workspace.
- Law Enforcement Helicopter Completions Custom law enforcement helicopter completions including tactical flight officer stations, FLIR systems, searchlights, communication systems, mapping systems, video downlink capabilities, and Starlink integration.
- Metro Gulf Fixed-Wing Completions and Maintenance Fixed-wing aircraft completions division providing maintenance, repair, avionics, software upgrades, inspections, structural modifications, paint services, and mission consoles for platforms including Cessna 208 Caravan and King Air.
- Operational Control Center 24/7 operational control center monitoring, coordinating, and supporting all flights across Metro's fleet of over 170 aircraft, with nearly 20 specialists managing an average of 331 flights daily.
- Product Support and Parts Maintenance support, spare parts supply, and access to Metro management services for air medical and law enforcement operators, with ample spare parts inventory.
- Training and Education (Metro University) Metro U leadership development program, LMS systems, and training center services for internal personnel and customer pilots, mechanics, and communications specialists.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1 million flight hours logged across operations
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Metro Aviation
Customer profileNamed customers21 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Metro Aviation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Metro Aviation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Metro Aviation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Leonardo Helicopters: Leonardo is a global helicopter OEM and Metro's distribution partner for the AW09 in US/Canada; comparable as a broader aerospace incumbent that overlaps with Metro's platforms and shapes competitor offerings.
- Airbus Helicopters: Airbus Helicopters is Metro's primary OEM partner since 1985 and the manufacturer of the EC135/EC145 family that Metro has completed 275+ of; while a partner/supplier, it is also a broad incumbent whose platform decisions shape Metro's competitive position.
- Bell Helicopter (Textron Aviation): Bell Helicopter is a major US rotorcraft OEM offering competing platforms (Bell 407, 429) used by many air medical and law enforcement operators; a broader incumbent shaping Metro's addressable helicopter replacement and upgrade market.
Emerging players
- StandardAero: StandardAero is a large independent MRO provider with significant helicopter component and completion capabilities; it competes with Metro on Part 145 maintenance, engine overhaul, and aircraft completion work, though its scope is broader than air medical specialization.
Direct peers
- Air Methods Corporation: Air Methods is the largest US air medical transport operator and the most direct competitor to Metro Aviation's core helicopter EMS business; both companies operate large fleets under hospital-branded programs and have comparable completion/MRO capabilities, making them the closest twin in the segment.
- REACH Air Medical Services: REACH is a leading US air ambulance operator providing rotor-wing and fixed-wing EMS services across the Western US; it competes directly with Metro for hospital program contracts and shares a similar operational footprint.
- PHI Aviation: PHI operates one of the world's largest civilian helicopter fleets across air medical, offshore, and utility missions and offers MRO and completions work; like Metro, it is a vertically integrated helicopter services provider competing head-to-head on multi-mission rotorcraft operations and completions.
- Global Medical Response: Global Medical Response operates multiple air ambulance brands (e.g., Air Evac, Med-Trans, REACH) and is the broadest air medical competitor to Metro, pursuing a similar strategy of large-scale traditional helicopter EMS partnerships with hospital systems.
- LifeNet (Air Medical Holdings): LifeNet is a helicopter air ambulance operator serving rural and community hospitals across multiple states, often partnering with health systems in comparable program structures to Metro's traditional operator model.
Others
- BETA Technologies: BETA Technologies is an eVTOL manufacturer whose ALIA VTOL platform Metro has a deposit-backed order for up to 20 aircraft; while not a competitor, BETA is a key commercialization partner that determines Metro's path into electric air medical transport.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Metro Aviation social profiles
Digital presenceMetro Aviation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Metro Aviation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Metro Aviation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Metro Aviation subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Metro Aviation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Metro Aviation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Metro Aviation
What does Metro Aviation do?
Metro Aviation is a family-owned helicopter services company that operates air medical transport programs (over 160 aircraft across 40+ programs in 25+ states) and provides customized helicopter completions, including air medical interiors, law enforcement mission systems, and avionics installations backed by more than 30 Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs). The company delivers vertically integrated services including aircraft operations, maintenance, dispatch, pilot staffing, parts supply, and training.
Is Metro Aviation a public or private company?
Metro Aviation is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Metro Aviation founded?
Metro Aviation was founded in 1982. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Metro Aviation based?
Metro Aviation is headquartered in Shreveport, United States, in the North America region.
How does Metro Aviation make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Aircraft Completions are the primary driver. The others are operations Services, product Support and Parts and training and Education.
Who are Metro Aviation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Leonardo Helicopters, Airbus Helicopters and Bell Helicopter (Textron Aviation). StandardAero is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Air Methods Corporation, REACH Air Medical Services, PHI Aviation, Global Medical Response and LifeNet (Air Medical Holdings). BETA Technologies is listed as an others.
Does Metro Aviation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Metro Aviation.
What industry is Metro Aviation in?
Metro Aviation's product category is Air Medical Transport & Helicopter Completion Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAFANAD, Air Medical Transport (Helicopter/Fixed-Wing), with a secondary code of TLAFACAI, Helicopter Medical Passenger Transport (Non-Emergency). Its NAICS code is 4812 and its SIC code is 4522.