Metro Aviation

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

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

• Helicopter completions
• Air medical transport
• Law enforcement aviation
• Supplemental type certificates
• Helicopter maintenance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Shreveport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. 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).
2. Operations Services: Full operational support including aircraft operations, maintenance, dispatch, and pilot staffing for air medical programs across 40+ programs in over 25 states.
3. 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.
4. 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

Core 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

Named customers21 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad 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

• Xx.com/MetroAviation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Metro Aviation