US not-for-profit medical operator Life Flight Network is relocating its fixed-wing aircraft from Port Angeles to Renton, Washington, by early 2025. The move is intended to increase availability for the communities they serve, enhance patient care and optimise operational efficiencies. Importantly, Life Flight Network's Port Angeles base will continue to provide emergency medical care and transport via its helicopter, ensuring uninterrupted service to Port Angeles and surrounding areas.

The Pilatus PC-12 and associated staff, stationed at the William R. Fairchild International airport since October 2019, will move across the Puget Sound to an existing hangar at Renton Municipal airport. New offices are being constructed to accommodate relocating pilots and aircraft mechanics, and the clinicians who will be hired for the new location.

The decision to relocate this asset comes after much consideration over how the organisation can best serve its communities. With less than 10 per cent of the Port Angeles base’s fixed-wing transport originating from the Olympic Peninsula and most patients going to Seattle area hospitals, stationing the aircraft in Renton will decrease response times and time to offer definitive care for those in need.

“Life Flight Network's top priority is providing the highest quality care to the patients we serve,” says Michael Weimer, chief operating officer for Life Flight Network. “Relocating our fixed-wing plane from Port Angeles to Renton allows us to streamline our operations, reducing response times and enhancing our ability to reach more people in need of critical care. This move strengthens our commitment to delivering timely, lifesaving services across the region, ensuring that our communities continue to receive critical emergency medical care when they need it most.”