2 October 2026
Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) awarded 10-year contract for aeromedical retrieval and inter-hospital transfer services across Top End, Big Rivers and East Arnhem regions.
Minister for Health Steve Edgington said Top End Medical Retrieval Service is a critical part of the Northern Territory's public health system.
New 10-year contract will provide a strong and sustainable aeromedical retrieval service for Territorians.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) has been awarded a 10-year contract to provide aeromedical retrieval and inter-hospital transfer services across the Top End, Big Rivers and East Arnhem regions, worth about $625 million.
Under the contract, RFDS will introduce new aircraft to replace the current ageing fleet and support the continued delivery of safe and effective aeromedical retrieval services.
Minister for Health Steve Edgington said the Top End Medical Retrieval Service is a critical part of the Northern Territory's public health system, providing rapid-response aeromedical retrievals and transfers across some of Australia's most remote and geographically challenging areas.
"The the new contract will provide a strong and sustainable aeromedical retrieval service for Territorians," Minister Edgington said.
"Aeromedical retrieval services are essential in the Northern Territory, where distance and geography can make accessing urgent and specialist healthcare particularly challenging.
"RFDS has a long history of delivering healthcare in remote and regional Australia, and we look forward to working with the organisation to provide this critical service across the Top End, Big Rivers and East Arnhem regions."
Minister Edgington said the 10-year contract would provide long-term certainty for the service and deliver modern aircraft capable of supporting safe, timely and effective patient care.
He also praised the efforts of the previous provider, CareFlight.
"We sincerely thank CareFlight's pilots, clinicians, engineers, operational staff and support teams for their important work and the care they have provided to Territorians."
The service will support patients to access timely, safe and high-quality care 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
RFDS also provides aeromedical retrieval services across the Central Australia and Barkly regions.
NT Health will now work closely with RFDS to prepare for the transition to the new arrangements, including detailed workforce, operational and service continuity planning.
RFDS SA/NT Chief Executive Tony Vaughan ASM said the contract award recognised the RFDS's proven capability and dedication to delivering emergency aeromedical services across Central Australia, the Barkly and beyond for the past 87 years.
"We're proud and honoured to deliver the next chapter of aeromedical and patient transport services for our Top End, Big Rivers and East Arnhem communities, working alongside NT Health, our rotary-wing partner Toll Aviation and service-delivery partners as one seamless service," Mr Vaughan said.
CareFlight will remain an important partner of NT Health through its other contracts to provide Inter-Hospital Patient Road Transfer Services between Palmerston Regional Hospital and Royal Darwin Hospitals, as well as provision of Interstate Aeromedical Evacuation Services from the Top End to interstate hospitals.
RFDS was offered the contract by NT Health to deliver the service following a comprehensive and highly competitive procurement process.
The procurement process was independently reviewed by a probity adviser to ensure it was conducted rigorously, fairly and transparently, and that the outcome represented the best value for Territorians.
The new service arrangements will commence on 1 July 2027 to enable a smooth transition process.
