The trust's annual report to donors and supporters, released this week, shows a slight increase in the number of hours flown on emergency missions throughout the lower South Island during the year to March 31, 2008.
It flew 575 hours, up from 569 hours over the same period the year before.
The Otago Regional Council increased its support to become the major trust donor after the Lion Foundation ended its 5-year support and, with support from other donors, the trust kept the service in the air without any problems, Mr Black said, despite the fact it cost $2,242,792 to run it for the year.
The biggest cost items were the helicopter leasing and operating costs - about $1.7 million for the year.
The Otago community owed a great deal to staff at Helicopters Otago, which leased the helicopter to the trust and provided pilots and the helicopter on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a week, Mr Black said.
The Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter flew 384 patients, mostly people retrieved and transported after they were accidently injured under the trust's contract with ACC. Others were flown after medical emergencies (heart attacks, strokes etc), intensive care hospital transfers or search and rescue operations.
The trust will hold its annual meeting in Dunedin on November 5.
