The new facility (foreground) will be located between Brisbane’s two parallel runways, north of the domestic terminal. Image: Brisbane Airport.
Brisbane Airport has commenced the construction of a dedicated precinct for aeromedical and emergency services aircraft.
Located north of the domestic terminal between the two parallel runways, the new precinct will be home to the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) in Brisbane, medical retrieval service providers such as Lifeflight and Retrieval Services Queensland, and the Queensland Police Service Aviation Capability Group.
The $217 million facility is being delivered in partnership with the Queensland Government and will have a 17,800 sqm ramp area with parking for up to 26 aircraft, 18,700 sqm hangar and headquarters space, and provision for up to 450 staff.
Brisbane Airport CEO, Gert-Jan de Graaff said there would be nothing like the scale of Brisbane Airport’s aeromedical precinct anywhere in the world. “This groundbreaking project will significantly enhance the level of care for Queenslanders needing urgent treatment in Brisbane,” he said.
“Around 18 patients every day are flown in and out of Brisbane Airport. Those transfers between aircraft and ambulance will now take place inside a patient transfer hub at the core of the aeromedical precinct.
“Currently RFDS, LifeFlight and other emergency agencies are spread across Brisbane Airport, kilometres apart,” he added.
“The aeromedical precinct will bring them together in one location, centrally located between our two runways so they can quickly get into the air. Not only will these lifesavers work together, they’ll learn from each other.”
The facility will also include a patient transfer facility to care for people transitioning between aircraft and road ambulances, and a medical base for regional patient and donor transfers.
To give an idea of the scale of aeromedical services at Brisbane, in 2023/24 the RFDS flew 4611 patients from regional areas to Brisbane Airport, while LifeFlight’s Air Ambulance jets and helicopters airlifted 980 people.
The 17,800 sqm ramp area will have parking for up to 26 aircraft. Image: Brisbane Airport.
Queensland Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Shannon Fentiman said the government relied on aeromedical services to move patients needing care across the state.
“The Queensland Government is committed to supporting world-class care for all Queenslanders, no matter where they live,” she said.
“The new aeromedical hub at Brisbane Airport will transform the aeromedical network, supporting the continued safe, reliable, and efficient systems to deliver timely access to healthcare, especially in rural, remote, and regional areas.”
Retrieval Services Queensland Executive Director Michael Cussen said demand for aeromedical services in Queensland was growing.
“In the last financial year, on average 60 patients were aeromedically transported every day throughout the state, with around 18 of those patients transferred to and from Brisbane hospitals via Brisbane Airport each day,” he said.
“The aeromedical hub will co-locate Queensland Health’s statewide aeromedical services, ensuring a co-ordinated approach to delivering lifesaving care.
RFDS (Queensland Section) CEO Meredith Staib said the RFDS team was excited for construction to begin on the facility.
“We thank the State Government and our generous supporters for helping bring to life the vision of what will become a crucial patient care facility for many years to come,” she said.
“The RFDS (Queensland section) transfers around 13,000 patients via aeromedical services every year, many of those via our Brisbane base.
“We look forward to the opening of the brand-new patient facility in the future which will enable further important collaboration with our partners in care including LifeFlight and Queensland Health.”
