The Alice Springs Royal Flying Doctor Service has been upgraded for the first time in 12 years. A new AUS$5.2 million Swiss-made Pilatus PC-12 aircraft will be operational in March next year. RFDS Central Operations chief executive officer John Lynch said the addition of the Pilatus would take the total number of planes in Alice Springs to four. In 2006/07, RFDS made more than 9600 patient contacts.
Mr Lynch said: ``This is an important development and reflects the increasing hours we have been flying in recent years in Central Australia, which has incorporated a growth in transfers of patients from Alice Springs to Adelaide.
``The aircraft will be flown from Switzerland in January next year and it will be fully equipped when it comes online for Alice Springs by March.
``In an overall sense, we will be looking at our total operation in Alice Springs and this will also need to incorporate a review of our hangar facilities.
Mr Lynch said that while the RFDS' existing facilities work well, the addition of another aircraft would necessitate some possible enhancements to infrastructure.
He said: `` It's certainly an exciting period of transition.
