The Taranaki Rescue Helicopter is moving in 2025!

For most of the last 33 years, the Taranaki Rescue Helicopter and its crew have been based at Taranaki Base Hospital. However, with the Hospital’s ongoing expansion, it’s time for the service to embark on a new chapter.

As Taranaki Base Hospital grows to meet the needs of our community, the Rescue Helicopter service will be relocating to New Plymouth Airport in the coming months. This move will allow the hospital to repurpose the land for its expansion while ensuring the iconic yellow helicopter, flight crew, and equipment have a suitable new base of operations.

At New Plymouth Airport, the intention is that the rescue helicopter will be co-locating with the fixed-wing Air Ambulance. Whilst there is just one hangar in place now, there are plans to add a new hangar adjacent to the current one.

The current hangar is designed to support seamless medical operations, featuring an ambulance drop-off and pick-up bay for patient delivery, a patient transfer lounge and an administration wing.

The hangar will act as the hub for Medi-Flight Taranaki’s air medical services.

The Taranaki Rescue Helicopter will always take patients directly to the hospital, where the hospital will retain a helipad for incoming helicopters.