11 November 2026

New Private Air Ambulance Service Launches in Polokwane

ROCKET has launched a private air ambulance service in Polokwane, operating from Polokwane Civil Airport since 1 November 2026. The service extends ROCKET’s aeromedical response to private patients and ROCKET Connect members across Limpopo, alongside the Pride of Limpopo Aeromedical Service it has operated with the Limpopo Department of Health for four years.

A white, green and yellow ROCKET 9 air ambulance helicopter in flight just above the trees, with the South African flag on its tail. — ROCKET 9, a Bell 222 air ambulance, approaching its base in Polokwane. [ROCKET]

Edited by:

African Pilot Newsdesk

Why this article matters
ROCKET has flown the Pride of Limpopo Aeromedical Service from Polokwane with the Limpopo Department of Health for four years, so the province already had an air ambulance base serving its public health system. The new service adds a private layer to that base, operating from Polokwane Civil Airport since 1 November 2026 and launched on 5 November. It carries private patients and ROCKET Connect subscribers across Limpopo’s outlying regions, and gives the Department of Health additional capacity during periods of high call volumes. ROCKET is part of Henley Group Holdings, which operates a twin-engined helicopter fleet it describes as the largest in South Africa, and the aircraft operating from Polokwane include ROCKET 9, a Bell 222.

Limpopo is a large province in which road distances to specialist care can be long, and Hendrik Louw describes the service as improving access to specialist aeromedical response beyond South Africa’s major metropolitan centres. Running the Pride of Limpopo service and the private service from the same base keeps both within ROCKET’s coordination with EMS personnel, receiving hospitals and other healthcare stakeholders. The balance between private missions and the support the Polokwane base gives the Department of Health at peak demand is the measure of how the arrangement works in practice.

Of Interest
- ROCKET’s private air ambulance service in Polokwane became operational on 1 November 2026 and was officially launched on 5 November 2026.
- The service operates from Polokwane Civil Airport and covers private patients across Limpopo.
- ROCKET has operated the Pride of Limpopo Aeromedical Service with the Limpopo Department of Health from Polokwane for four years.
- The private service provides additional support to the Limpopo Department of Health during periods of high call volumes.
- ROCKET Connect members in Limpopo have access to the air ambulance, subject to clinical need, aircraft availability, weather, landing-site suitability and ROCKET’s flight criteria.
- ROCKET is part of Henley Group Holdings, which owns and operates a twin-engined helicopter fleet it describes as South Africa’s largest.

ROCKET, a leading independent air ambulance provider, has officially launched its private air ambulance service in Polokwane on 5 November 2026 with an opening ceremony attended by key stakeholders. This expands the organisation’s dedicated aeromedical response capability to the private sector in Limpopo, while supporting government healthcare services where needed.

“Establishing a dedicated private air ambulance service in Polokwane is an important step in extending access to specialist emergency medical response across Limpopo,” says Hendrik Louw, CEO of ROCKET.

“Our focus is on ensuring that patients and communities have access to an integrated medical emergency response capability where rapid intervention, clinical decision-making and appropriate transport can make a meaningful difference to patient outcomes.”

Strategic Partnerships and Expanded Support

Two paramedics in orange flight suits stand in front of the ROCKET 9 Bell 222 air ambulance helicopter on a paved pad. — ROCKET 9, a Bell 222 air ambulance, with two ROCKET paramedics in Polokwane. [ROCKET]

For the past four years, ROCKET has partnered with the Limpopo Department of Health (DoH) in operating the successful Pride of Limpopo Aeromedical Service from Polokwane, supporting the province’s emergency medical requirements.

This expanded private service, which was officially operational from 1 November 2026, builds on established capability, extending time-critical emergency medical services and patient transfers to the private market across Limpopo’s outlying regions.

Operations remain integrated within the wider healthcare system through coordination between EMS personnel, receiving hospitals and relevant healthcare stakeholders.

The Polokwane private air ambulance service operates from Polokwane Civil Airport, creating capacity to provide additional operational support to its strategic partners, the Limpopo DoH, during periods of high call volumes.

The private air ambulance service will also serve ROCKET Connect members in the region, providing them with direct access to ROCKET’s emergency medical response network and aeromedical resources when clinically and operationally appropriate.

Five men stand in front of the ROCKET 9 helicopter, three in jackets or shirts and two in blazers. — Boeta Dippenaar, Group Chief Executive Officer, Henley Group Holdings; Bruce Daniels, Chief Pilot, ROCKET; Kaleb Lachenicht, Chief Clinical Officer, ROCKET; Hendrik Louw, CEO, ROCKET; and Dr André Coetzee, Group Executive Chairman, Henley Group Holdings, at the launch in Polokwane. [ROCKET]

A Dedicated Aeromedical Response Capability

ROCKET is a patient-centric air ambulance provider with a world-class, in-house Emergency Management Centre, professional aeromedical teams, experienced pilots and an extensive authorised road ambulance network.

ROCKET provides emergency response and aeromedical services on a 24/7 basis and forms part of Henley Group Holdings, which owns and operates the largest twin-engined helicopter fleet in South Africa.

An air ambulance service is particularly relevant where time, distance, road infrastructure, geography or the clinical condition of a patient make rapid access to definitive medical care critical.

Five men in shirts stand with their arms around one another in front of the ROCKET 9 helicopter. — P Selahla, Deputy Director: EMS Communications, Limpopo Department of Health; L Ngoetjana, Director: EMS, Limpopo Department of Health; Dr K Tibana, Head of ICU, Pietersburg Hospital; K Mabotja, Principal, Limpopo College of Emergency Care; and Hendrik Louw, CEO, ROCKET. [ROCKET]

By integrating aviation operations with clinical expertise and emergency medical coordination, an air ambulance service facilitates the rapid mobilisation of specialised resources and, where indicated, expedites the transfer of critically ill or injured patients to an appropriate receiving facility.

ROCKET Connect: Emergency Medical Assistance Access for Private Members

The Polokwane private air ambulance service will also strengthen the medical emergency response available to ROCKET Connect members in Limpopo.

ROCKET Connect is a subscription-based EMS/HEMS solution that provides individuals, families, businesses and tourism organisations with direct access to ROCKET’s emergency medical assistance infrastructure. Members can activate assistance through the ROCKET Connect mobile application or through the ROCKET Emergency Management Centre, which operates 24/7.

In the event of a medical emergency, ROCKET Connect provides access to emergency medical assistance, including authorised, networked road ambulance services and air ambulance response, where the patient’s condition and ROCKET’s flight criteria indicate that an air ambulance is appropriate. The service removes the need for members to navigate complex emergency arrangements during a medical crisis.

A large group of guests and ROCKET staff stands in rows on a paved area in front of the ROCKET 9 helicopter under a blue sky. — Guests and the ROCKET team at the launch of the private air ambulance service in Polokwane. [ROCKET]

A key component of the service is ROCKET’s Emergency Management Centre, which coordinates the emergency medical response and remains involved throughout the patient journey. This provides members, their families and business management teams with a single point of contact during what can otherwise be a highly stressful and fragmented emergency.

For private members, the benefit of having a dedicated air ambulance capability operating from Polokwane is the proximity of ROCKET’s aeromedical response resources in the region, subject to clinical need, aircraft availability, weather, landing-site suitability and ROCKET flight criteria.

“The new Polokwane service strengthens our private air ambulance infrastructure and improves access to specialist aeromedical response beyond South Africa’s major metropolitan centres,” says Louw.

“By integrating aeromedical capability, emergency medical expertise, centralised coordination and road-based EMS resources, we’re providing a coordinated, patient-centred medical emergency response focused on clinical and operational safety.”