Aeromedical specialists Lifeflight Australia (GDY, Brisbane Archerfield) have opened a AUD26 million Australian dollar (USD17.1 million) 5,000 square metre maintenance facility at Archerfield Airport.
The new facility, the biggest at the airport, includes four large bays to house Lifeflight's rotary and fixed-wing aircraft with seven-tonne access doors, three three-tonne-plus cranes, offices, amenities for more than 30 staff, solar panels, and tarmac for aircraft manoeuvring, landing, take-off, and refuelling. The operator performs more than 41,000 hours of scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on its aircraft each year.
"Every Lifeflight aircraft is rotated through the maintenance facility for major inspections as well as work that cannot be performed at other bases," said COO Lee Schofield. "Our helicopter crews completed more than 3,300 missions in FY24. That means a lot of maintenance is required to ensure the choppers are at peak operability so they’re ready to go wherever and whenever needed."
The Lifeflight fleet includes seven Leonardo AW139s, one AW109, five Bell Helicopter B142s, one Eurocopter BK117, one Eurocopter 350BA, and four Challenger 604s. Two of the AW139 helicopters operate under a contract with a consortium of gas companies, while the others rotate through service on an operational needs basis and are based throughout Queensland. The medically-configured 604s are based in Townsville, Brisbane, and Singapore Changi, and remain on standby around the clock.
Lifeflight's other facilities at its main Archerfield base include a training academy and a communications, coordination, and control centre.
