| Founded | 1986 |
|---|---|
| Location | Sydney, Australia |
| Key people | Andrew Refshauge |
| Area served | Australasia |
| Focus | Humanitarian |
| Method | Air ambulance and medical personnel |
| Website | http://www.careflight.org/ |
CareFlight International Air Ambulance is an Australian registered charity that operates air ambulances and specialist medical teams to patients anywhere in the world. The organisation was incorporated in 1986 when its first helicopter, a Squirrel AS350B was commissioned. Helicopter operations are based on the grounds of Westmead Hospital in Sydney, while fixed-wing aircraft are chartered from Pel-Air. The current helicopter fleet consists of an Agusta A109E Power at Westmead Hospital and two Kawasaski BK-117s based in the Northern Territory.
The company operates from Sydney, Darwin, Perth and Cairns.
On 18 November 2009, a Westwind IIA operated by Pel-Air ditched near Norfolk Island after running out of fuel during an ambulance flight. The aircraft had been unable to land because of inclement weather, and did not carry sufficient fuel to divert to an alternate airport. All six crew and passengers were rescued from the sea after 90 minutes.