South Australia’s police and ambulance service aerial fleet will be upgraded and an additional dedicated medical retrieval plane made available under a generational investment by the Malinauskas Government to improve community safety.
A new fleet of eight fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft will be rolled out from next year for law enforcement, search and rescue and medical retrieval operations – providing a boost in response times and operational capacity across the state.
The new contract brings together the aerial emergency arms of SA Police and SA Ambulance Service under a single aviation service – increasing efficiency while ensuring the state’s 24/7 emergency response meets future demands.
Through the Government’s record $870 million investment in emergency aerial capability, Toll Aviation will provide, staff and operate a state-of-the-art fleet of:
- Two Bell 429 helicopters for SA Police (one operational 24/7, one reserve) with speeds of up to 155 knots/287 km per hour and a range of up to 596 kilometres for rapid deployment and response.
o The additional helicopter will ensure there is always one dedicated police aircraft for immediate deployment during maintenance periods. - Two fixed-wing aircraft including a Pilatus PC12 NG and Cessna C208B EX for SA Police in aerial operations.
- Three Leonardo AW139 helicopters for SA Ambulance Service (two operational 24/7, one reserve) with speeds of up to 167 knots/309 km per hour and a range of up to 698 kilometres for search and rescue and emergency medical retrieval operations.
- A fixed-wing Pilatus PC12 NG aircraft for SA Ambulance Service for use in emergency aeromedical retrieval.
o The aircraft will be available as an additional Quick Response medical retrieval plane, increasing capacity to treat and retrieve the sickest patients from regional SA.
Under the agreement, Toll Aviation will work with subcontractors – the Royal Flying Doctor Service South Australia and Northern Territory (RFDS SA/NT) and Indigenous aerospace consultancy Gunggandji Aerospace – to provide the services.
The aircraft will be available for critical emergency response 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the life of the contract, until the end of 2039.
The State Government’s contract with Toll Aviation will also create more than 80 local jobs in management, aircrew, engineering and operations roles, supporting the South Australian economy.
The new fixed-wing aircraft are due to come online in November next year, with the new helicopters set to begin operation in October 2027.
Quotes
Attributable to Emily Bourke
This is a generational investment to provide South Australians the very best in emergency aviation services, meet future demand and help save lives.
A bigger and better fleet equipped with the latest technology ensures our emergency services can rapidly respond anytime, anywhere – including to the most remote parts of the state.
Attributable to Chris Picton
This investment will allow SA Ambulance Service to provide life-saving emergency care to South Australians, no matter where they live.
As well as having two helicopters available and one helicopter on reserve for emergency medical retrieval, a dedicated PC12 aircraft crewed by MedSTAR will be available for critical care retrieval tasks.
This record investment in aerial emergency response is in addition to the State Government’s $311.2 million investment into SAAS as part of the Operational Growth Plan to hire 350 additional ambos, build more stations and increase ambulance coverage across the state.
Attributable to Stephen Mullighan
Providing SAPOL with two new dedicated helicopters will ensure officers have the tools they need to keep South Australians safe 24/7.
It means even when one chopper is being serviced, there’ll be a second aircraft on hand to rapidly respond to incidents across the state.
This isn’t just about replacing aging equipment – it’s about equipping our police with the best possible resources to protect our communities.
Attributable to SAPOL Assistant Commissioner Philip Newitt
Having an increased law enforcement aerial capability will enhance community safety by improving search and rescue operations, managing high speed pursuits safely and expediently moving SAPOL officers around the state when they are needed.
Attributable to SAAS MedSTAR Retrieval Divisional Clinical Director Dr Andrew Pearce
In a medical emergency, every second counts. Distance, speed, climate control and payload are all important improvements to our aeromedical service.
The addition of the PC-12 fixed-wing aircraft will reduce our time to become airborne by half and will enable us to cover greater distances more quickly.
By expanding our fleet, we will be better equipped to meet the growing demand of aeromedical services in South Australia. This boost will make a real difference to those who need life-saving emergency care and hospital transfers.
Attributable to Toll Aviation General Manager Colin Gunn
We are proud to be entrusted with such an important responsibility in supporting South Australia’s emergency response capabilities.
Our fleet will be on high operational readiness 24/7, ensuring that South Australia Police, SA Ambulance Service (SAAS), and other key agencies can count on us to deliver the services needed to save lives and protect the community.
Attributable to RFDS SA/NT Chief Executive Tony Vaughan
A trusted health partner of the SA Government and the community for over three decades, the RFDS is delighted to be expanding its support to SAAS MedSTAR in delivering critical care to regional South Australians in partnership with Toll Aviation from 2026.
RFDS crews often rely on the support of SA Police to conduct outback retrievals – closing highways and in many cases our first responders – so it’s terrific to be supporting SA Police with the provision of response-ready aircraft to keep our rural and remote communities safe.
