Ornge to acquire eight new planes

The new fleet is expected to enter service by 2026, acquired by Ornge through a competitive procurement process.

Sylvia Jones, Ontario’s Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, said the purchase will ‘ensure Ontarians continue to have the best care, no matter where they live in the province’.

The aircraft will replace the entire existing fixed-wing fleet of eight Pilatus PC-12 NG planes, which were acquired between 2009 and 2010 and are used for long-distance transport.

Ornge also operates a fleet of 12 Leonardo AW139 helicopters for shorter-distance and emergency on-scene response.

In addition, the provincial government confirmed it was considering expanding the air ambulance’s fleet beyond its current size of 20, potentially adding ‘larger and faster aircraft’.

Ornge operates from nine bases across Ontario, with its fixed-wing aircraft launching from bases in Thunder Bay, Timmins and Sioux Lookout. The organization performs roughly 21,000 patient transports per year, with around 15 per cent conducted using its fixed-wing fleet. It serves a territory of over one million square kilometers.

Ornge reported that one of its helicopters was struck by blue and green lasers during a patient transport mission on 25 October.