A New Zealand-built humanitarian aircraft used by the United Nations has departed for Australia to take part in a cross-country fundraising initiative supporting the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS).
The SuperPac 750XL-II, designed and manufactured by Hamilton-based aviation firm NZAero, will compete in the 2025 Outback Air Race August 22 – September 8). The event covers more than 3,800 kilometres and raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for the RFDS, which delivers emergency medical care to patients in remote and rural Australia.
The aircraft is described as the world’s first commercial XSTOL (Extremely Short Take-Off and Landing) platform, designed for operations where aviation infrastructure is scarce. Requiring minimal runway length, it can access locations that conventional aircraft cannot. With capacity for nine passengers or 2,000 kilograms of cargo, the SuperPac has already been deployed in 28 countries for medivac, humanitarian relief, and disaster response, including work with the UN World Food Programme and in Pacific nations for emergency logistics.
NZAero CEO Stephen Burrows says the aircraft’s capabilities reflect growing demand for adaptable platforms in emergency and development settings.
“As extreme weather events become more frequent and more severe, the need for aviation solutions that can access remote or damaged locations has never been greater. The SuperPac was developed to fill that gap. It can be rapidly deployed in complex environments and configured to perform a wide range of critical tasks,” he says.
He notes that the seven-year development programme drew heavily on New Zealand’s agricultural aviation heritage. “Our engineers designed this aircraft to do more with less – less runway, less infrastructure, less downtime. It can land where larger aircraft cannot and lift more than its own weight in cargo. That makes it a valuable tool in regions affected by drought, disaster, or isolation.”
The modular system at the heart of the SuperPac allows quick reconfiguration for tasks ranging from aerial firefighting and cloud seeding to freight, border patrol, surveillance and scientific research. This versatility makes it suitable for both civilian and defence roles as well as commercial operations.
The aircraft departed Hamilton, with stopovers in Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island before beginning a major tour of eastern and central Australia. Alongside its participation in the Outback Air Race, the aircraft will visit more than 40 regional locations across Queensland, New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, the ACT and Sydney. Aviation schools, aero clubs and regional airfields are expected to engage with the aircraft during the journey.
NZAero director and pilot Dee Bond, who will fly the aircraft in the race, says it was built for exactly the kind of missions the RFDS undertakes. “This aircraft was designed to operate in places that are underserved or difficult to reach. Whether it’s responding to a medical emergency, a flood or a bushfire, the SuperPac can get people and supplies in and out quickly and safely,” she says.
Bond adds the tour will provide a chance to showcase the aircraft in real-world conditions. “While the race is a charity event, the tour also gives professionals and the wider public the chance to see what this aircraft is designed to do. The feedback we receive from those already operating the aircraft overseas has been overwhelmingly positive. We hope our Australian counterparts see the value it could offer there to,” she says.