CORNWALL Air Ambulance must find an extra £120,000 a year after the cost of fuelling its life-saving helicopters doubled – putting fresh pressure on the charity to keep its emergency service flying.

Chief executive Tim Bunting has warned of “very, very challenging times” as rising aviation fuel prices add to the running costs of the service, which receives no government funding and relies entirely on public support.

The charity is determined to protect its life-saving operations, but the soaring bill means it faces an increasingly difficult balancing act as it strives to maintain and improve its service.

“If you’d told me at the start of the year that we’d be doubling our fuel costs, that’s about £120,000 a year we would have to find,” Mr Bunting said. “That’s a huge amount of money. We’re paying double what we were in January, so we’ve got to keep the helicopters flying. We want to be out there saving lives.”

The warning comes as emergency air ambulance services face mounting financial pressures across the region, with Devon Air Ambulance recently launching an appeal after facing a £1.1 million deficit.

Mr Bunting said Cornwall Air Ambulance remained financially stable, but stressed rising costs could not be ignored.

“We’ve invested heavily in our operations over the past couple of years, but fundamentally, we need to make sure we can balance the books,” he said.

The charity depends on donations, fundraising, lottery players and income from its shops to fund its work across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

“Thankfully, we have tremendous support here in Cornwall, with phenomenal supporters who fundraise for us week in, week out, take part in our lottery or visit one of our shops,” he said.

“We have a good spread of income that helps us balance the books, but these are very, very challenging times, not least because of the price of fuel.”

Despite the financial squeeze, Mr Bunting insisted patient care would not suffer.

“We will never compromise on the quality of our operation. That comes first and foremost,” he said.

However, the charity is reviewing some longer-term activities and could scale back certain plans as it works to manage its spending.

“Fundamentally, we want to continue investing in the service and delivering that critical care 365 days a year. That’s absolutely essential and it’s why people support us.”

The financial challenge has been compounded by the expansion of the fleet to two helicopters, with the second aircraft arriving in 2025 following a £2.85 million fundraising campaign.

While the additional helicopter strengthens the service available to communities across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, it also brings significant operating costs at a time when fuel prices are surging.

“We’re here to deliver a service for the people of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, and we fully intend to provide the very best care we possibly can,” said Mr Bunting.

With Christmas approaching, the charity is preparing its annual appeal, which could provide crucial support in meeting the increased fuel bill.

An anonymous donor has pledged to match donations up to £100,000, potentially doubling the impact of public contributions.

Mr Bunting said the funding would make a “massive” difference as the charity prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary next year.