New Zealand’s aeromedical success story

You are the largest aeromedical company in New Zealand. What sets you apart from other air ambulance providers?

Our company provides the only national specialist retrieval service for paediatric intensive care, holding the National Starship Air Ambulance contract and the National ECMO retrieval contract from our base in Auckland. With a team of over 100 professionals capable of handling the most critical cases with precision and expertise, we operate from six bases, with twelve aircraft, and conduct over 4,000 missions annually. Our infrastructure allows a swift response to emergencies and inter-hospital transfers across New Zealand and the South Pacific, serving both adults and children with unparalleled care.

The New Zealand Air Ambulance Service (NZAAS) operates in the South Pacific – a remote part of the world. Tell us why your services are so important for the region and what the challenges are?

NZAAS plays a vital role in the challenging environment of the South Pacific region. In the past fortnight alone we've undertaken more than 10 critical missions, providing life-saving transport and medical care to patients, facilitating their transfer to hospitals in New Zealand and Australia. With vast stretches of ocean and numerous remote islands with limited healthcare facilities, our service provides a vital support system for both tourists and locals, ensuring access to intensive care.

Our jet pilots and clinical teams have considerable experience operating in this region, and we invest in the latest avionics and medical equipment technology to undertake missions safely. We maintain strong partnerships with Pacific Island governments and hospitals and provide telemedicine support to local hospitals, further enhancing our ability to support healthcare delivery in these remote countries.

Our team have developed
a comprehensive network of
contacts on the ground in the
countries we frequently visit
to enable immediate contact

Communication can pose a significant challenge, as hospital lines may not always be functional, so our team have developed a comprehensive network of contacts on the ground in the countries we frequently visit to enable immediate contact and to facilitate patient handovers and ground logistics smoothly.

Are there any exciting new developments or services you can tell us about within your business?

Our parent company, Skyline Healthcare Group, is undergoing exciting developments. New ownership, including investors such as KiwiSaver investment groups, has enabled access to ongoing capital for our continued growth. In 2019, we introduced MedAssist NZ, providing world-class healthcare access in New Zealand, spanning both private and public health systems. Our MedAssist team specialises in streamlining healthcare navigation, expediting appointments, diagnostics, and connecting patients with leading specialists. Additionally, we offer comprehensive case coordination, bed admissions and cost containment measures, meeting diverse healthcare needs across Pacific countries.

Our aviation division has also heavily invested in a state-of-the-art flight simulator, delivering unmatched training advantages and environmental benefits by maximising simulation hours.

Our commercial medical escort division remains active, conducting long-haul retrievals on major airlines and successfully completing complex multi-stop missions with intensive care patients. Thanks to our team's global expertise and extensive network, we ensure seamless coordination and smooth bed-to-bed transfers. We have added to our fleet of ground ambulances and can now offer a ground ambulance service for all international customers in New Zealand.

Excitingly, we're currently in the midst of a brand refresh, gearing up for a future marked by increased demand and new opportunities. We're eager to embark on this journey, reaffirming our commitment to delivering top-tier healthcare solutions and exceptional service to communities across the region.