The Royal Flying Doctor Service Western Australia (RFDS WA) has welcomed the first Pilatus PC-12 PRO aircraft to join its fleet, as the organisation progresses a long-term programme to renew its aeromedical fleet.

Based at Jandakot, the aircraft was funded through the Rinehart Medical Foundation and Hancock Iron Ore by Mrs Gina Rinehart AO. It is the first of a planned fleet of next-generation PC-12 PROs that will progressively replace eight retiring PC-12 aircraft by 2030.

The aircraft has been selected to support growing demand for aeromedical services across Western Australia’s regional and remote communities, offering improvements in speed, range, efficiency and safety.

RFDS WA’s current PC-12 fleet flies a combined six million kilometres each year and supports more than 7,500 aeromedical retrievals annually across some of the state’s most isolated regions.

Designed to operate from gravel strips, roads and remote runways, the aircraft enable medical crews to reach communities where healthcare access can be limited. The PC-12 PRO is expected to build on that capability as RFDS WA continues delivering critical care across Western Australia.

Pilots and medical crews will now undertake specialised training before the aircraft enters operational service later this year.