April 2025 - Performance Update
The National Police Air Service (NPAS) has published its latest performance update for April 2025, highlighting how we continue to support police forces across England and Wales with effective aerial policing.
Maximising aircraft availability
We work closely with our maintenance partners to make sure aircraft are available as much as possible around essential engineering requirements. In April, our aircraft were available for deployment 73.6% of the time.
Response times
- Priority 1 calls (the most urgent) saw average response times drop to 11 minutes and 54 seconds
- Priority 2 calls improved to 20 minutes and 45 seconds
These improvements help make sure we’re where we’re needed, when we’re needed.
Operational impact
In April, NPAS aircraft were deployed 1,028 times. Our crews continue to deliver strong results on the ground at the start of the new year:
- 101 vulnerable people were located
- 281 suspects were found
- 133 vehicles were recovered
Overall, over 90% of attended deployments led to a positive outcome - an increase from 89% in March.
Flying hours so far
Since the start of the financial year:
- Rotary aircraft have flown 664 hours
- Fixed wing aircraft have flown 49 hours, supporting 13 police forces
