The Royal Flying Doctor Service is delighted to announce that Air BP, one of the world's largest suppliers of aviation fuel products and services, has become their third National Partner.

Air BP supplies jet fuel at around 60 locations in Australia; this includes an extensive network of facilities offering a reliable service to rural and remote locations. As part of the partnership agreement, in addition to offering the bespoke fueling services required in each of the regional communities that RFDS services, Air BP will also be sponsoring the ongoing operation of the service.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service is Australia's third largest airline, with 69 aircraft in service, as well as a large fleet of ground service vehicles. They provide emergency medical and primary health services to regional, remote and very remote areas of the country.

People that live in remote communities in Australia have less access to health care services and as a result are known to suffer poorer health than those that live in the cities. Country Australians see a doctor at about half the rate, a medical specialist at one third the rate and a mental health professional at one fifth the rate of those that live in the city. As a consequence, country people are expected to die two and a half years earlier and expected to have up to three times the amount of avoidable chronic illness.

"We want to thank Air BP for signing up to be one of our National Partners", says Martin Laverty, CEO of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. "As a direct result of Air BP fuel, the Flying Doctor will be able to provide continued health service access to those needing it."

"At Air BP we are proud of our long standing relationship with the Royal Flying Doctor Service" says Alan Wilson, Managing Director Air BP Asia Pacific. "Air BP is uniquely placed to provide a quality aviation refueling solution throughout rural and regional Australia and to support this essential and iconic service for the communities in which we operate."

Contributed by Air BP