Life Flight
Life Flight Trust is a New Zealand-registered charity that provides free 24/7 emergency aeromedical transport via rescue helicopter and air ambulance planes from bases in Wellington and Hamilton. It serves critically ill and injured patients nationwide and is funded by donations and corporate sponsors, with Westpac as its flagship sponsor since 1981.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1975
- HeadquartersWellington, New Zealand
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Life Flight does
Life Flight Trust, operating as Life Flight, is a New Zealand-registered charitable trust that provides 24/7 emergency aeromedical transport services across New Zealand. Founded in 1975 (per the organization's own website), Life Flight operates a fleet of five air ambulance planes and rescue helicopters from bases in Wellington and Hamilton, serving critically ill and injured patients who require time-critical transfer between hospitals or from accident scenes. The service is delivered free of charge to patients and is funded through a combination of individual donations, community fundraising, grants from charitable trusts (e.g., NZCT, Pub Charity, Lion Foundation, Lions Clubs), and long-standing corporate sponsorships, with Westpac serving as the flagship sponsor since 1981.
The operational model centers on capital-intensive aeromedical assets and specialized crews. Recent capability investments include night vision goggles (NVGs) for after-dark operations, portable ultrasound for in-flight diagnostics, NICU incubators for neonatal and pediatric transfers, and ongoing cockpit and avionics upgrades. Equipment donations from corporate partners (e.g., Mitsubishi vehicles) and equipment sponsorships (e.g., Chemist Warehouse) supplement operational capacity. The organization maintains two operational bases, with the Hamilton hub opened in 2025 to broaden geographic coverage beyond the original Wellington base.
Life Flight's business model is that of a donation-funded non-profit: there is no fee charged to patients, and no government contract revenue is referenced in the available data. Revenue mechanics therefore rest on diversified fundraising streams — corporate sponsorships, individual giving, bequests, and trust/grant funding — combined with volunteer-supported community events. In 2025 the organization reports 1,844 patient missions (approximately 28-32 patients per week), and cumulatively more than 42,000 Kiwis have been flown since 1975. The organization is small in headcount (11-50 employees) and relies on the Westpac-led corporate partnership ecosystem to underpin operating and capital expenditure programs.
Life Flight firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Life Flight
- Legal name
- The Life Flight Trust
- Website
- https://lifeflight.org.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1975
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Life Flight Trust is a New Zealand-registered charity that provides free 24/7 emergency aeromedical transport via rescue helicopter and air ambulance planes from bases in Wellington and Hamilton. It serves critically ill and injured patients nationwide and is funded by donations and corporate sponsors, with Westpac as its flagship sponsor since 1981.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Life Flight industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Aeromedical Services
- NAICS
- Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812), Ambulance Services (62191)
- SIC
- Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Air Medical Transport (Helicopter/Fixed-Wing) (HLAFANAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Medical Air Transport (Air Ambulance/Patient Transfer) (TLAFABAG), Air Ambulance & Medical Passenger Charter Operators (THABADAK)
Keywords
Where Life Flight is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wellington
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices3 records
Markets served
Life Flight business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: One-off and monthly donations from individuals, including the Red Angel monthly giving program, bequests, and general public contributions.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Partnerships with businesses at various tiers (Principal Sponsor, Major Sponsor, Family Sponsors, Community Sponsors) providing financial contributions, products, and services.
- Trust and Foundation Grants: Funding from trusts and foundations including NZCT, Pub Charity, Lion Foundation, Lions Clubs NZ, and many others for equipment, training, and mission costs.
- Community Fundraising: Funds raised through community events, quiz nights, golf days, bake sales, active challenges, and volunteer-led initiatives.
- Payroll Giving: Employees can donate through payroll giving programs as part of workplace giving initiatives.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Life Flight product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Life Flight provides 24/7 emergency aeromedical transport across New Zealand through a fleet of Westpac Rescue Helicopters and King Air Air Ambulance Planes configured as flying intensive care units. The service transports critically ill and injured patients, including premature babies, to specialist medical care, and conducts search and rescue operations. All services are delivered free of charge to patients, funded entirely through donations, corporate sponsorships, and community fundraising.
Product overview
Life Flight operates as a unified aeromedical emergency service combining two primary offerings: the Westpac Rescue Helicopter for rapid emergency response in challenging locations, and Air Ambulance Planes serving as flying intensive care units for critical patient transfers. The organization also runs the Red Angel monthly giving program to fund ongoing operations. Together these services form a comprehensive emergency medical transport system operating 24/7 across New Zealand.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Red Angels: Monthly donor community program where donors contribute regularly to support Life Flight's life-saving missions.
- Westpac Rescue Helicopter
Products and services
- Westpac Rescue Helicopter A rescue helicopter service providing rapid emergency response for time-critical situations and challenging access locations, operating 24/7 to transport critically ill or injured patients to medical facilities and conduct search and rescue missions across New Zealand.
- Air Ambulance Planes
- Search and Rescue Operations
Quantifiable outcome
- 42,000+ patients transported since 1975
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Life Flight
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Life Flight technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Life Flight partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Westpac NZflagshipWestpac has been Life Flight's Major Sponsor since 1981, providing naming rights for the 'Westpac Rescue Helicopter'. Over four decades of partnership with thousands of missions completed and countless lives saved.
- Mitsubishi Motors NZcoreVehicle Sponsor providing vehicles to support ground operations for the Life Flight crew. Partnership driven by the service's impact on local communities and staff who have directly benefited from Life Flight services.
- Chemist WarehousecorePrincipal Sponsor supporting Life Flight's critical care services for people in urgent need across New Zealand communities.
- VitalcoreProvides support for all radio communications on-board the aircraft to ensure the crew can communicate quickly and easily during missions. Communication is critical when responding to emergencies.
- UnimedcoreNot-for-profit Kiwi health insurer supporting Life Flight. Shares same philosophies as both not-for-profit organizations dedicated to supporting health of Kiwis. Also provides health insurance cover for air ambulance staff.
- Wellington AirportcoreProvides financial assistance to support Life Flight operations. The Air Rescue Centre is based at Wellington Airport, with the airport seeing firsthand the vital service provided.
- Wellington BedsminorFamily Sponsor supporting the Wellington community with products and services to help families in crisis.
- Mitre 10 & Mitre 10 MEGAminorMultiple stores (Crofton Downs, Martinborough, Upper Hutt, Masterton, Marlborough, Lower Hutt, Petone, Porirua) supporting their local communities as Family Sponsors.
- Pak'nSaveminorSeven stores (Masterton, Kāpiti, Kilbirnie, Lower Hutt, Petone, Porirua, Upper Hutt) supporting their local communities as Family Sponsors.
- FUJIFILM Business InnovationminorHas generously donated printing services and paper for many years.
- NZMEminorGenerously helps advertise Life Flight's Open Day and other key events throughout the year.
- PhillipsminorDonated a tablet to allow ultrasound imaging to be displayed and sent to medical personnel during missions.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Life Flight competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- St John New Zealand: Largest ambulance operator in New Zealand, providing emergency and non-emergency patient transport services and coordinating with Life Flight for aeromedical missions. Directly comparable not-for-profit emergency medical transport model at greater scale.
- Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust: New Zealand-based rescue helicopter charity providing 24/7 aeromedical search, rescue, and inter-hospital transfer services across the upper North Island. Directly comparable non-profit helicopter model serving the same patient population as Life Flight.
- Royal Flying Doctor Service: Australia's largest aeromedical charity, providing 24/7 emergency and inter-hospital air medical transport across remote and rural areas. Larger scale but directly analogous charitable fixed-wing/helicopter retrieval model serving rural populations.
- LifeFlight Australia: Australian aeromedical charity operating helicopters and fixed-wing air ambulances across Queensland and beyond. Same dual-mode helicopter + fixed-wing charity model, comparable community-funded fundraising structure, and similar regulatory environment.
- CareFlight Australia: Australian not-for-profit aeromedical organization providing helicopter rescue, fixed-wing patient transport, and specialist medical retrieval. Closest international peer in mission, structure, and patient mix (including pediatric retrievals).
- Wellington Free Ambulance: NZ charitable ambulance service providing free emergency medical transport in the Greater Wellington region, including coordination of Life Flight activations through the 111 system. Closest emergency medical transport peer in the same geography.
Regional players
- London's Air Ambulance Charity: UK charity providing helicopter emergency medical service for London and surrounding areas. Same charitable air ambulance model serving a major population center, useful for benchmarking fundraising effectiveness and mission economics.
- Great North Air Ambulance Service: UK charity providing helicopter emergency medical services across the north of England. Closest UK analog to Life Flight in charity structure, helicopter-only mission profile, and community-donor funding model.
Broad incumbents
- Air Methods Corporation: Largest US air medical transport operator, providing helicopter emergency medical services across 48 states. Comparable mission (HEMS) but for-profit, hospital-contract model rather than community-funded charity, making it a broader incumbent in the same category.
- PHI Air Medical: Major US helicopter air ambulance provider operating across multiple states with hospital-based and community-based models. Same core air medical transport service as Life Flight but as a large for-profit incumbent.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Life Flight social profiles
Digital presenceLife Flight compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Life Flight financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Life Flight leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Life Flight funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Life Flight M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Life Flight
What does Life Flight do?
Life Flight provides 24/7 emergency aeromedical transport across New Zealand through a fleet of Westpac Rescue Helicopters and King Air Air Ambulance Planes configured as flying intensive care units. The service transports critically ill and injured patients, including premature babies, to specialist medical care, and conducts search and rescue operations. All services are delivered free of charge to patients, funded entirely through donations, corporate sponsorships, and community fundraising.
Is Life Flight a public or private company?
Life Flight is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Life Flight founded?
Life Flight was founded in 1975. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Life Flight based?
Life Flight is headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Life Flight make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships, trust and Foundation Grants, community Fundraising and payroll Giving.
Who are Life Flight's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are St John New Zealand, Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust, Royal Flying Doctor Service, LifeFlight Australia, CareFlight Australia and Wellington Free Ambulance. Regional players are London's Air Ambulance Charity and Great North Air Ambulance Service. Broad incumbents are Air Methods Corporation and PHI Air Medical.
Does Life Flight have an API?
No public API is recorded for Life Flight.
What industry is Life Flight in?
Life Flight's product category is Aeromedical Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAFANAD, Air Medical Transport (Helicopter/Fixed-Wing), with a secondary code of TLAFABAG, Medical Air Transport (Air Ambulance/Patient Transfer). Its NAICS code is 4812 and its SIC code is 4522.