Life Flight expands New Zealand’s Central North Island support with NZ$1-million grant
The operator will be using the New Zealand Community Trust grant to extend its critical medical care with a fourth fixed-wing air ambulance
Currently operating the Wellington-based Westpac Rescue Helicopter and three Beechcraft King Air 200C air ambulances, Life Flight will be adding a fourth air ambulance plane to its fleet which will be permanently based at Hamilton Airport, New Zealand. Made possible by a substantial NZ$1 million grant from New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT), support will extend to Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Northland, Gisborne, Manawatū-Whanganui, and beyond.
Mark Johnston, Chief Executive, Life Flight, commented: “The air ambulance, based at Hamilton Airport, will provide faster response times and improved accessibility to emergency medical care for local and rural communities.”
The $1 million grant from NZCT will finance a significant portion of this fourth air ambulance plane, with the remainder covered by fundraising from Life Flight’s community of donors, partners and sponsors.
Mike Knell, NZCT Chief Executive, said: “NZCT is a proud community partner of Life Flight’s mission to provide critical air ambulance services to Kiwis in need. We’re absolutely thrilled to be able to support this expansion of world-class aeromedical services across central New Zealand with a dedicated Life Flight air ambulance plane based in Hamilton.”
Wyoming Life Flight recently announced that it now carries whole blood on its aircraft.
Chloe Fox
Chloe Fox is an Editorial Assistant for Voyageur Group, joining in 2024. She writes for AirMed&Rescue and ITIJ, covering a range of topics including international travel and health insurance, medical assistance provision, and air medical transportation. Chloe holds a BA (Hons) in English and an MA in English Literature from the University of Bristol.