StarFlight’s Victoria Police helicopters have surpassed the 20,000 flight hours milestone this month, equivalent to more than two years of continuous flying since entering service in 2020.
The fleet reached its latest 5,000 flying hours four months faster than the previous 5,000-hour milestone.
The achievement means Victoria Police has retained the highest average annual flight hours for law enforcement helicopter operations worldwide across its fleet of three Leonardo AW139 helicopters.
The high utilisation rate has been supported by extensive maintenance performed by StarFlight Victoria’s engineering and logistics teams.
Over the past six years, they have completed 66 heavy maintenance inspections, processed 69,000 work cards, carried out 31,500 engine starts and logged more than 100,000 engineering hours to maintain fleet availability.
Each flight hour requires approximately five hours of engineering support across structural, mechanical and avionics disciplines.
The helicopters are equipped with advanced infrared cameras, mapping systems and object detection software to support both marine and land-based search operations.
Tony Fraser, Chairman of StarFlight Victoria, said “Victoria Police is the global leader in cutting-edge surveillance aviation and search and rescue in Australia. As such, StarFlight’s engineers play a vital role because without their round-the-clock maintenance and repairs, the flight hours achieved here would not be possible.”
Ashley van de Velde, Director of StarFlight Victoria, said there are few helicopter fleets worldwide capable of maintaining such high utilisation rates. “These helicopters perform an extraordinary workload to help keep Victorians safe and it’s something we are immensely proud of. When we launched in 2020, the objective was to deliver a step change in aviation capability for Victoria Police. Reaching 20,000 hours demonstrates the maturity, resilience and reliability of that capability.”
About StarFlight Australia: StarFlight Australia is a partnership between LifeFlight Australia and Linfox, delivering mission-critical aeromedical and rescue aviation services. Established in 2017 to bid for the 10-year Victoria Police aviation contract, StarFlight combines LifeFlight’s aviation expertise, clinical governance and training capabilities with Linfox’s logistics and operational support. The company provides aircraft and support services for three AW139 helicopters, engineering and maintenance, pilot and Tactical Flight Officer (TFO) training, as well as fuel and fleet management services.
About LifeFlight Australia: LifeFlight’s fleet operates from eight Queensland bases and is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, directly servicing an area of 1.85 million square kilometres. It supports search and rescue efforts across 53 million square kilometres of land and sea for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. LifeFlight recently welcomed three new AW139 helicopters to its fleet. By 2027 the 21-strong fleet will be among the largest in the country. In FY25 the organisation helped 8,497 people – with a patient helped every 62 minutes. More than 90,000 people have been airlifted since LifeFlight first took to the skies in in 1979.
About Linfox: Linfox is Asia-Pacific’s largest privately owned logistics company, with more than 24,000 employees across 12 countries. Linfox brings deep expertise in aviation support, base operations and logistics to the StarFlight partnership.