FUEL giant BP has announced it will provide free jet fuel for air ambulances as the Coronavirus crisis deepens.

Rita Air BP, the aviation division of BP, will provide free jet fuel for use by the helicopters of a number of UK air ambulance services, supporting their life-saving work during the current coronavirus pandemic. The air ambulance crews are on stand-by 24/7, ready to respond to emergencies where they are needed most.

All these services are charitable organisations that BP already supplies with jet fuel.

Those included in this initiative, in place from today, 1 April, until at least the end of April 2020, are:

• Great Western Air Ambulance Charity, based at Almondsbury, Gloucestershire.

• Midlands Air Ambulance Charity at Strensham, Shropshire and Cosford, Worcestershire.

• Wales Air Ambulance Charity at Dafen, Carmarthenshire.

• Yorkshire Air Ambulance at Topcliffe, North Yorkshire and Nostell Priory, West Yorkshire.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Great Western Air Ambulance receive fuel directly from Air BP. Wales Air Ambulance and Midlands Air Ambulance Charity are supplied by Air BP customer Babcock International.

Jon Platt, CEO, Air BP said: “We are pleased to be able to play a small part and support these emergency service organisations as they continue to provide a critical service to communities in these difficult times. Our commitment to safe, reliable fuelling operations remains unwavering and we’re grateful for the hard work of our front-line Air BP operators who continue to enable us to meet the needs of our customers.”

This initiative follows BP’s earlier announcement that it is supplying free fuel to the UK’s emergency services ground transport vehicles.