LifeFlight Australia's fixed wing air ambulance fleet, aviators, aeromedical crew and support staff have been officially recognised as the best in the world, after being named Air Ambulance Company of the Year by International Travel & Health Insurance Journal (ITIJ).

The award recognises that LifeFlight has shown resilience to market pressures, demonstrated innovation in the face of adversity and risen above expectations to maintain the quality of services it provides to the international travel and health insurance sector.

LifeFlight Australia is a leader in aeromedical care, offering long-distance, multi-patient jet air ambulance solutions from its bases in Townsville and Brisbane in Australia, and in Singapore. Its jet fleet comprises four Challenger 604s, which are some of the longest-range medically configured jet aircraft in the South Pacific.

"To be named ITIJ Air Ambulance Company of the Year is an incredible honour. It is a tribute to the professionalism, dedication and care shown on every mission by every member of the fixed wing crews and the teams of engineers, co-ordinators and administrators who support them. We are grateful to the judges who rigorously assessed our service in numerous categories," says CEO Ashley van de Velde.

The prestigious industry accolade was presented to LifeFlight Australia air ambulance operations manager Tyson Smith at the ITIC Global conference in Barcelona, Spain. He says: "This award was presented to our business LifeFlight Australia; but it is really an award for our people who genuinely go above and beyond to give the best possible service to our patients, their families and our clients."

Starting with a single aircraft in 1979, LifeFLight has established a continuous, sustainable cycle of investment in aircraft, aircrew, engineering, safety, training and operational excellence that now sees the business operating one of the most capable rotary and fixed wing AME fleets globally.

2023 has been its most successful year, with 520 patients airlifted during more than 1,400 hours flying time, with jets tasked to far-flung locations including Abu Dhabi, Jeddah, Dubai and Las Vegas. The longest mission ran a significant 34.9 flight hours.

"All this was achieved without a single major incident. A commitment to excellence is a core value of LifeFlight, and one of the most important pillars of that is an absolute uncompromising commitment to safety," says van de Velde.

LifeFlight's fixed wing fleet is the only service of its kind in Australia to be officially recognised by EURAMI and one of only three to gain accreditation in the Asia Pacific region.

In 2023, it expanded and relocated its Singapore operations to a new base that reaches all locations throughout Asia, the west coast of America and parts of Europe, as well as working wing-to-wing with an extended network of providers to reach other destinations.

It also configured a best-in-class cabin space ideal for facilitating complex transfers like intra-aortic balloon pump, neonatal, bariatric and extra corporeal membrane oxygenation transfers.

What sets LifeFlight apart from other air ambulance service providers is its pre-hospital retrieval medicine specialists, registrars, flight nurses and flight paramedics. It is the largest pre-hospital retrieval medicine employer in Australia, with 180 critical care doctors operating under LifeFlight's own clinical governance system.

Furthermore, all LifeFlight's services, including aircraft, aircrew, engineering (under CASA Part 145), medical crews, training and checking, HSSE and operations, are delivered in-house; it does not subcontract the critical elements of its business.

It is this integration, coupled with LifeFlight's profit-for-purpose strategy of redirecting profits back into its iconic charity to deliver health equity, that differentiates the service in the global market. Monies from its social enterprise have co-funded services to help 81,000 people since 1979.

"We are constantly innovating, looking for opportunities to improve and expand our service and to excel. Being named ITIJ Air Ambulance Company of the Year gives us more motivation and inspiration to continue to lead the world in the aeromedical sector," concludes van de Velde.

The air ambulance jet fleet is part of LifeFlight Australia's commercial operation, which supports the work of its community helicopter fleet through its profit-for-purpose model.

In the 2022-2023 financial year, RACQ LifeFlight Rescue's community helicopters, air ambulance jets, critical care doctors, flight nurses and flight paramedics came to the aid of 7,349 people.