Ontario, Canada-based air ambulance service provider Ornge has placed an order for a dozen Pilatus PC-12s. The single-engine turboprops are scheduled to be delivered between 2026 and 2030. Ornge has operated PC-12s since 2009, and its current fleet of eight PC-12 NGs will be progressively phased out of service as the newer aircraft arrive.
According to its Nov. 9 announcement of the order, Ornge maintains an Operations Control Center in Mississauga, Ontario, where it coordinates operations at 14 bases across the province. The company serves more than 13 million people in a geographic area of more than 1 million square kilometers. Ornge says it conducts about 20,000 patient-related flights per year with its fleet, which includes helicopters as well as fixed-wing aircraft.
Dr. Homer Tien, Ornge President and CEO, said, “The Pilatus PC-12 has played a significant role in Ontario’s air ambulance program for many years. With the renewal of our fleet, we know that this aircraft will continue to help us save lives and deliver health equity for generations to come.”
“health equity”
Just had to get that in there, didn’t they?
If you look at a map and understand the size of Ontario and remoteness of northern native communities you would understand the mention of health equity. A lot of these communities are only accessible by air, not like living in Toronto where you can be at a hospital in 5 minutes.