Originally published by Jake Nelson of Australian Aviation
12.06.2026
The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) has added a new Pilatus PC-12 PRO to its WA fleet.
Based at Perth’s Jandakot Airport, VH-AW2 was funded by mining billionaire Gina Rinehart through her Rinehart Medical Foundation and Hancock Iron Ore, and is the first PC-12 PRO to join RFDS WA as part of a fleet renewal program.
“This aircraft gives us greater range, reliability and capability, which is critical when operating across WA’s vast and often challenging environment,” said RFDS WA chief executive Judith Barker.
“When someone is critically unwell or injured, every minute matters. This aircraft helps ensure help can arrive sooner, and patients can be transported faster to the care they need.”
RFDS WA is phasing out eight older PC-12s and will replace them with PC-12 PROs by 2030. The new generation aircraft delivers “enhanced speed, range, efficiency and safety”, with Rinehart saying it would help “ensure people across regional and remote Western Australia can access critical healthcare when they need it most”.
“In a state as vast as Western Australia, where distance and time can mean the difference between life and death, it’s great to welcome a faster aircraft, the first of the new PC-12 PRO aircraft to Western Australia,” she said.
“The work of the Flying Doctor undoubtedly saves countless lives each year across our rural communities and vast state. For the many families in remote areas, this service is essential.”
RFDS WA said its existing PC-12 fleet flies a combined 6 million hours and support more than 7,500 aeromedical retrievals per year, often across the most remote parts of the state.
“Designed for Western Australia’s rugged conditions, the aircraft can take off and land on gravel airstrips, roads and remote runways, making them the workhorses of the RFDS fleet and enabling crews to reach communities where access to healthcare can be limited,” the organisation said.
“The arrival of the PC-12 PRO will help build on that capability, supporting the delivery of critical care across regional and remote Western Australia for years to come.
“Pilots and medical crews will now undertake specialised training on the new aircraft ahead of its entry into operational service later this year.”
