Australian aeromedical provider LifeFlight has helped a record 8,177 people in FY24, more than 11 per cent higher than the previous year. 

Recorded data shows its helicopter crews completed 3,378 missions, including 150 motor vehicle accidents and 89 SAR missions. Crews aboard the nine rotary wing aircraft helped 5,313 people, up 131% on FY23. 

LifeFlight choppers spent 5,159 hours in the air, with Toowoomba LifeFlight crews clocking up the most hours across the fleet with 1,164 hours.  

The surge in car crashes is why LifeFlight is investing more in First Minutes Matter, a free safety education program that draws on LifeFlight’s decades of aeromedical experience to teach emergency trauma training for those first on the scene of accidents. 

LifeFlight Chief Operating Officer Lee Schofield, said rescue crews helped an average of 157 patients per week – the equivalent of one every 64 minutes.

“The numbers keep rising each year which shows how crucial LifeFlight’s aeromedical service is, reaching far and wide across our state, and helping thousands of people,” said Mr Schofield. “This past financial year our crews have saved people from challenging situations on land, sea and even on the side of mountains. Our crews are called any day, anytime, and are always ready to spring into action, even in precarious situations, all at no cost to the patient. This next financial year we’ll be able to do even more with five additional AW139 helicopters added to our fleet and new expanded bases in Mount Isa and the Sunshine Coast.”