AMG and Little Wings partnership takes flight with new aircraft for sick children in regional areas

Little Wings and Aeria Management Group (AMG), operator of Bankstown Airport, have joined forces to support a new aircraft to care for seriously ill children in regional and rural areas.

AMG’s sponsorship of the twin-engine Beechcraft Baron will enable Little Wings to carry out an additional 65 missions a year for sick children and their families travelling from regional NSW, Queensland and the ACT, to specialised medical service and treatment in metropolitan areas.

Clare Pearson, CEO of Little Wings, thanked AMG and the Federal Government, which funded the purchase of the aircraft, for their support. “This little plane is a resource of powerful impact for country kids and their families, who are travelling long distances over long periods of time for healthcare,” she said.

“We are so grateful for the support of the Federal Government and Aeria Management Group at Bankstown Airport. Families can breathe a little easier knowing that this support will enable Little Wings to continue delivering healthcare in regional areas and bridging the gap in our health system for people in regional and rural Australia.”

Little Wings’ new multi-year partnership with AMG, which runs the 313-hectare Aeria precinct, home of Bankstown Airport, will fund the aircraft’s operating, fuel and maintenance costs, keeping it in the sky to support hundreds of families.

Daniel Jarosch, CEO of Aeria Management Group, which is owned by Aware Super, said the company was proud to build on its support for Little Wings, which also includes the provision of new office space in the recently refurbished Bankstown Airport Passenger Terminal.

“We can’t be more excited about sponsoring Little Wings to get their plane into the sky and to the families who need it most,” he said. “Bankstown Airport is the home of NSW’s emergency and health air services and we are proud to do all we can to help Little Wings offer its essential lifeline to so many Australians.”

Litle Wings, which is based at Bankstown Airport, provides free flight and ground transport services for seriously ill children in regional and remote areas, supporting families by easing the financial burden, emotional strain and fatigue associated with travelling long distances to receive vital medical treatment.

Little Wings’ dedicated volunteer drivers and pilots, some of whom are based at Bankstown Airport, helped the service complete more than 2000 missions and support 4500 families in 2023.

Among them was 11-year-old Isabelle, who has a rare form of cancer in her left hand. Little Wings flew Isabelle and her family from their mid-north coast home in Kempsey, to and from Westmead Children’s Hospital in Sydney and John Hunter Children’s Hospital in Newcastle.

“During the hardest year of our life, Little Wings has been there to help through it all,” said Isabelle’s mother Crystal. “We honestly cannot believe that such a special and important little service exists, made all the more amazing when we learn that our pilots and drivers were all volunteers.”

Click here to watch a video about AMG’s support for Little Wings