Textron Wins Order for Five Medevac-equipped King Airs

An Australian operator has ordered five Beechcraft King Air 350is from Textron Aviation in an air ambulance configuration, the Wichita-based airframer announced yesterday. Deliveries of these turboprop twins to Pel-Air are expected to begin later this year and continue into 2021.

Based in New South Wales, Pel-Air will provide contracted air ambulance service to government agency NSW Air Ambulance, an emergency services provider for NSW Health Service. The new King Airs will be configured for multi-stretcher operations and equipped with aft cargo doors and heavyweight options for additional performance. To be based in Mascot at Sydney Airport, they will replace a mix of King Air B200s and B350s.

“The King Air has proven itself very adept for special missions, particularly for air ambulance operations in New South Wales, where much of the need is to and from rural areas and unimproved runways that dominate our service area,” said Pel-Air COO Eugene Lee. “A key to our success has been the timely customer service from Textron Aviation, who has already been supporting Pel-Air’s King Air fleet for the past 10 years in the Ambulance Victoria contract.”

Nearly 200 King Airs in a variety of configurations are supported in Australia by Textron Aviation.