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Life Flight Network has kicked off dedicated medevac service on Hawai‘i Island, parking a helicopter in Kona and a fixed‑wing Pilatus PC‑12 in Hilo. The aircraft were blessed at Ellison Onizuka Kona International last Thursday, and crews have begun moving critically ill patients between island hospitals and to O‘ahu. Local leaders say the added lift could shave hours off transfers to higher‑level care in Honolulu. What Arrived And Where The operator plans to base an EC135 helicopter at Queen’s North Hawai‘i Community Hospital and another at Kona Community Hospital, plus a Pilatus PC‑12 at Hilo International Airport, with a transition to Airbus H145s targeted by mid‑2026. The three hubs are set up for emergency transports between island facilities and to O‘ahu. In a press release, Life Flight Network outlined the rollout and initial fleet for Hawai‘i. Funding And Community Backing The Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation led a community fundraising push to acquire an H145 that Life Flight will operate, according to the foundation’s website, and local reporting put the helicopter’s purchase price at about $15.5 million. The effort and purchase were covered by the Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation and the Honolulu Star‑Advertiser. Membership And Patient Costs Life Flight offers a low‑cost household membership covering the primary member, a spouse or domestic partner, and qualifying household dependents. For medically necessary transports flown by Life Flight, the program covers deductibles, copays and coinsurance, and is valid across the organization’s service area — Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Hawai‘i. The company says it works directly with insurers to help reduce patient costs. Life Flight Network lists pricing and full terms on its membership page. Local Hires And Round‑The‑Clock Coverage Each Big Island base is staffed 24/7 with a pilot, a nurse, a paramedic and maintenance support for immediate response. The Honolulu Star‑Advertiser reported that Life Flight has hired 33 Hawai‘i County residents and expects to grow to roughly 54 employees as operations expand. Local coverage also noted that many crew members have island ties and that crews are expected to make multiple daily transfers to O‘ahu. Why It Matters For Patients Honolulu’s Queen’s Medical Center is the state’s only Level I trauma center, making fast interisland ICU‑level transport critical for the most seriously ill or injured. By cutting long transfer times from remote stretches of the Big Island, the new service aims to get patients to advanced care faster and reduce waits for specialty treatment. Queen’s Health Systems outlines the central role its Level I program plays statewide.
