PAL Aerospace has entered into a contract with Canadian healthcare provider Medavie Health to deliver fixed-wing air ambulance operations for Newfoundland and Labrador under the province's Integrated Emergency Health Services (IEHS) programme. The 10-year agreement, with an option to renew for an additional five-year period, establishes a single, long-term provider responsible for modernising and operating the province's fixed-wing air ambulance service.

The fleet will consist of four King Air 350 aircraft based in St. John's and Goose Bay with harmonised medical layouts and proven short-field performance, providing air clinical crew with a consistent, reliable platform while ensuring patients in both urban and remote communities can be transported quickly and safely to care. Each aircraft features dual LifePort systems, large cargo doors and consistent medical equipment stowage, providing crew the equipment they need to provide a high level of care to patients.

As part of Medavie's integrated offering, PAL Aerospace will operate and maintain the fleet of King Air 350 aircraft for Newfoundland and Labrador's fixed-wing air ambulance service. Air Borealis, a PAL-partner company, will play a critical role in this agreement by providing patient transportation for coastal Labrador communities using two dedicated Twin Otter aircraft configured for schedevac and one Twin Otter configured for medevac. These aircraft will support daily scheduled medical flights on the North and South coasts, Monday through Friday, and provide essential medevac capability as required.

“PAL Aerospace, Air Borealis and the entire PAL Group of Companies family are excited and honoured to have the privilege of delivering this vital programme for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador,” says Calvin Ash, president of PAL Aerospace. “As essential service providers with deep roots across our province, PAL knows firsthand the responsibility with which we've been entrusted. With a new fleet of advanced aircraft and the backing of the broader Exchange Income Corporation national medevac footprint spanning provincial fixed-wing programmes in British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and extensive Arctic operations, PAL Aerospace is ready to deliver the fixed-wing air ambulance solution for Newfoundland and Labrador for the next 10 to 15 years.”

"In partnership with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and NL Health Services, we're proud to work in collaboration with PAL Aerospace to help strengthen emergency care across the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. This is about supporting the delivery of high-quality care across the province and doing it with purpose and a commitment to excellence,” notes John Ferguson, vice president, operations and business development, Medavie Health Services.

This programme ensures a stable long-term fixed-wing provider, standardised medical cabins for clinical teams and reliable reach from bases at St. John's and Goose Bay and into remote communities with Air Borealis Twin Otter support. It also anchors stable, skilled jobs for pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers and programme operations in Newfoundland and Labrador.