Queensland aeromedical organisation LifeFlight experienced a significant increase in demand for its HEMS services in the 2024-25 financial year, according to figures released today.
LifeFlight recorded 5940 hours of HEMS work for the year, covering 3372 missions, an increase of 15% over the hours flown in the 2023-24 year.
LifeFlight COO Lee Schofield said the year was one of the most significant in the organisation's 46-year history.
“Every hour we are called upon to airlift Queenslanders in distress, whether it’s hikers stranded on mountains, capsized boaties kilometres out to sea, or people needing urgent medical attention in major hospitals,” he said.
“It’s a mission our aeromedical crews carry out with great dedication with the goal of bringing equity in healthcare no matter where and when people need us."
LifeFlight began building new bases at Mt Isa and the Sunshine Coast, added three new AW139 helicopters to its fleet, and signed a $250 million partnership deal with Italian aircraft manufacturer Leonardo.
The organisation's HEMS operations are complemented with fixed-wing missions flown by LifeFlight's four Challenger 604, which airlifted over 1000 patients for the year out of bases at Brisbane, Townsville and Singapore. That figure is 86% higher than the previous year.
According to Schofield, team effort and coordination across all work groups is key to providing high levels of care and service to communities.
“To continue to meet this objective, we’re evolving our organisation with the best aircraft, advanced bases and facilities, and cutting-edge training unmatched in our region," he said.
“Over the next year we’ll be opening new bases on the Sunshine Coast and Mt Isa as well as adding new aircraft to better service those regions.”
LifeFlight crews operate from bases at Mount Isa, Townsville, Bundaberg, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Roma, Brisbane and Singapore, directly servicing an area of 1.85 million square kilometres.