SLO County air ambulance base is closing due to ‘financial pressures’
After five years of serving San Luis Obispo County with life-saving medical air transportation, the Mercy Air 34 base in Paso Robles will close before the end of 2025.
The Paso Robles base opened in August 2020 with the goal to provide 24/7 air medical transport to San Luis Obispo County and surrounding areas, the company said at the time. Over the past five years, the Mercy Air 34 crew has responded to countless emergency calls for trauma and medical support.
According to a media statement from Mercy Air’s parent company, Air Methods, the base is no longer fiscally sustainable.
The base is slated to officially shut its doors Nov. 4.
“Unfortunately, due to long-term volume trends and financial pressures, including the lack of reimbursement increases to the state’s Medi-Cal program and federal Medicare program, operations at this base are no longer viable,” the company wrote.
Does SLO County still have air ambulance options?
According to San Luis Obispo County Health Agency public information officer Olivia Montiano, there is no equivalent service available in San Luis Obispo County, though the county is looking outside of the county for options.
Working with the California Highway Patrol or other statewide safety agencies may be an option, and the nearest air ambulance service is based out of Santa Maria, Montiano said in an email.
However, CHP public information officer Nikki Ross said the CHP’s Paso Robles air base — which operates both small planes and helicopters — uses its helicopter for patrols, traffic coordination, crime and medical responses, meaning San Luis Obispo County still has an airlift available.
“We are saddened by the forthcoming departure of Mercy Air 34,” Montiano said. “This change presents challenges for those in our rural community as well as those who need specialty care out of the area, such as burn patients or pediatrics care.”
“We will continue to monitor the situation and work with our healthcare partners to support their vital, lifesaving work and the best possible outcomes for patients given these challenging resource constraints,” Montiano continued.
Air Methods expressed gratitude for its community partners and agencies in the SLO County region.
“The relationships we built — with first responders, hospitals, EMS and civic leaders — are vital to our shared mission of delivering critical care when it matters most,” the company wrote.
Mercy Air 34 will continue delivering care until its last day in service, the statement said.
This story was originally published September 9, 2025 at 1:06 PM.
CORRECTION: This story originally misstated the number of airlift options in San Luis Obispo County. According to the California Highway Patrol, the CHP’s Paso Robles base also operates a helicopter that is used to respond to medical emergencies.
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