Houston, August 22, 2023 – FlightAware, a division of Collins Aerospace, a leading digital aviation company providing global flight tracking solutions, predictive technology, analytics, and decision-making tools has announced the iconic Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) (Queensland Section) – has selected FlightAware as a solution for their operationally demanding flight tracking needs.
While the FlightAware platform is utilized by all RFDS operations across Australia, the RFDS (Queensland Section) is investing in the full suite of capabilities and is now an active FlightAware Global Platinum, FlightAware GlobalBeacon, and FlightAware AeroAPI customer. Global Platinum offers 100% global flight tracking coverage and includes Aireon’s space-based satellite ADS-B technology to accurately track RFDS aircraft from takeoff to touchdown in the most remote locations they serve. GlobalBeacon is a first in kind industry leading satellite-based ADS-B from Aireon℠ and FlightAware for minute-by-minute position updates that exceed modern safety standards.
FlightAware’s Global Beacon web-based alerting dashboard combines Aireon℠ space-based ADS-B position data with FlightAware’s technology and worldwide flight database to provide real-time 4D aircraft positions and customizable alerts for immediate notification of aircraft in distress. It’s a true turn-key solution complementing existing tools and systems to provide the RFDS operators, the peace of mind their fleet is always monitored, even in the most remote locations.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service motto is the finest care to the furthest corner, and the renowned healthcare organization provides vital aeromedical retrieval and primary health care services across nearly five million square miles of rural and remote Australia. While the continent is similar in size to the contiguous United States, it has a much smaller population primarily spread across coastal regions. Those living in the outback though, often must travel vast distances for medical care, especially in the form of hospitals and specialist physicians.
Founded in 1928 by the Reverend John Flynn, the RFDS provides emergency patient retrieval flights in addition to essential healthcare services for people who might not be able to gain regular medical assistance due to long distances. The RFDS assists over 387,000 people each year, or one person every 90 seconds, and operates a fleet of 79 aircraft including helicopters, turboprops, and jets.
The RFDS (Queensland Section) is one of six Federated Sections and covers over a quarter of Australia. It’s found that FlightAware’s AeroAPI has been a game-changer for its operation, facilitating data tracking integrations into their operational systems and displays, significantly improving their situational awareness of crews and fleet assets, and allowing dispatchers to see aircraft power-ons, surface movements, take-offs, and landings, in real-time.
RFDS (Queensland Section) Data Analytics & Integrations Manager Nick Warwick said, “FlightAware’s team support has been exceptional. We provide some unique use-cases for the FlightAware platform, including multiple diversions, constantly changing flight plans and operations in very remote areas. The team has been very keen to learn about our organization, what we do, and how they help us to provide that “mantle of safety” to our crews operating in the remotest parts of Australia. FlightAware’s Global Platinum tracking service, combining Aireon satellite-based ADS-B and terrestrial ADS-B networks, means we can accurately track our aircraft to the ground in the most remote locations we serve. Updates occur every 30 seconds no matter where the aircraft is.”
Warwick added, “The game-changer for us is FlightAware’s AeroAPI data service. We obtain automatic notification of key flight events and comprehensive flight history details for every flight. We’ve integrated this flight tracking data into our operational systems and display this with other relevant information to our tasking officers, greatly improving situational awareness of our crews and fleet.”
Leigh Aynsley, RFDS (Queensland Section) Manager Operations Control Centre, said, “From an operations perspective, we are seeing benefits such as the ability of our tasking dashboards to interrogate FlightAware via AeroAPI, thus ensuring that our OCC always has visibility of up-to-date ETAs and critical information. We also appreciate being able to customize reports that help monitor and manage contract KPIs which is extremely beneficial.”
FlightAware President Matt Davis said, “We’re honored to be working with such an esteemed organization as Australia’s RFDS (Queensland Section) that performs day-in and day-out critical flight care to people in need. FlightAware looks forward to continuing optimizing their operations with AeroAPI and enhancing their remote flight safety through our Global Platinum and Global Beacon tracking solutions.”
FlightAware has over five-hundred active customers around the world using AeroAPI to power their applications. We are expanding our AeroAPI alerting capabilities for both the types of alerts that can be configured, and with considerable flexibility in how alerts are configured. In addition to our standard arrival and departure alerts that include diversion and cancellation alerts, users will be able to individually configure for all OUT, OFF, ON, and IN events. FlightAware will soon add their industry leading FlightAware Foresight predictions to alerts.
FlightAware recently added the ability to obtain flight history for an individual flight ident or registration number and are growing that functionality by adding features to obtain all flight history for an airport or operator on a given day in history. This will open the gate for a variety of informative and useful post-operational analysis.

Live map shows any of the 79-aircraft fleet of RFDS planes that are currently in the air, providing vital services across Australia.
For more information on FlightAware Global, including Global Platinum, please visit: flightaware.com/global
For more information on Global Beacon please visit: flightaware.com/globalbeacon
FlightAware AeroAPI is easy actionable aviation intelligence with robust access. Begin easy queries to power your application now at: flightaware.com/aeroapi and learn more about AeroAPI via this informative on-demand webinar.
About FlightAware
FlightAware, a part of Collins Aerospace, is a leading provider of real-time and historical flight information and insights to the global aviation community. FlightAware serves all segments of the aviation marketplace through best-in-class applications and data services that provide comprehensive information about the current and predicted movement of aircraft. Through the collection, interpretation, and enrichment of hundreds of sources of data, including data from FlightAware's own proprietary terrestrial ADS-B network with tens of thousands of receivers spanning seven continents in 200 countries and territories, FlightAware transforms millions of raw flight data elements and delivers them as coherent, easy-to-consume flight stories. As a single source of accurate and actionable data for aviation players large and small, FlightAware is Central to Aviation®.
Media Contact
Kathleen Bangs, Senior Media Strategist11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 2900 Houston, TX 77046
Tel: +1 612.237.7995
kathleen.bangs@flightaware.com
Media Contact
Kathleen Bangs
+1-612-237-7995
email