The life-saving Yorkshire Air Ambulance is now based nearer to Huddersfield.

And its first emergency call-out from its new home in Wakefield was to save a cyclist hurt in Holmfirth.

The helicopter has moved from Leeds Bradford airport to a purpose-developed air support unit in the grounds of Nostell Priory.

It flew the first mission from its new base on Tuesday.

The rapid response helicopter was called to a road accident involving a man out cycling and a vehicle in Holmfirth.

It flew to the scene of the incident in only nine minutes. Normally it would have taken about 15 minutes to fly to Holmfirth from Leeds Bradford Airport.

The patient was taken to hospital by a road ambulance after his injuries were found to be non-life threatening.

The move will enable the charity to improve its coverage and response times to patients in the west and south of the county – including Huddersfield.

The YAA’s second helicopter will continue to operate from its base at RAF Topcliffe near Thirsk, covering the north and eastern part of the region.

The new Wakefield location will mean better operational availability – given the lower altitude of Nostell compared to Leeds Bradford Airport, which was often affected by fog.

The Nostell base boasts larger helicopter hangar space, on-site accommodation, a dedicated fuel bowser, helipad facility and improved office facilities.

The move will also generate some cost savings for the charity from having on-site accommodation and buying fuel directly from the supplier.

YAA chairman Peter Sunderland said: “This relocation to Nostell is a major step forward for the charity. It will enhance our service across the region, improving flying times to all areas and creating an operational overlap in our busiest areas.

“We are located on an independent site with a long-term lease which gives us stability and the opportunity to deliver an even better service to the people of Yorkshire.”

Nostell will be manned 365 days a year with emergency flights only taking place during daylight hours, in line with CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) and planning regulations.

The YAA provides a rapid response emergency service to five million people across Yorkshire – England’s largest region. The independent charity needs to raise £9,990 each day to keep its two helicopters in the air and maintained.

With no direct government funding the only help the charity receives is the provision of paramedics from the Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

In its 13-year history the YAA has transported more than 5,200 patients to hospitals across Yorkshire.