ITIJ Air Ambulance Review - September 2022

The benefits and challenges of commercial repatriations

Oliver Cuenca talks to repatriation experts about the benefits and challenges of transporting patients on commercial flights, building relationships with airlines and managing kit in small cabin spaces

Training fixed-wing medical crews

To ensure a reliable and readily available skill set and high performance in the complex and sometimes convoluted air ambulance environment, operators have a very structured training curriculum. Clara Bullock…

Industry Voice: EHAC

Peter Turi of TrustAir shared the past, present and future of EHAC’s Medical Working Group (MWG) and scientific activities with ITIJ

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The move to long-range jets

The Covid-19 pandemic saw a global surge in demand for long-range jet air ambulance provision, driven largely by the operating restrictions placed on service providers. Jonathan Falconer looks at how…

Keeping crews safe during the pandemic

ACE Air and Ambulance, Fox Flight Air Ambulance and AirCare1 told ITIJ how they managed to keep their crews safe during the height of the pandemic – and beyond

Ventilation patient management in an aeromedical setting

Sean Bryan, Director of Medical Operations - Western Hemisphere at REVA, Inc talks about equipment, training, and preparedness when it comes to transporting patients with mechanical ventilation needs

Infectious passenger handling in air ambulance operations

EUROCAE Working Group 123 has been formed to develop standards for the safe and effective handling of infectious patients during air medical transportations

Working with assistance companies – a wishlist from aeromedical companies

ITIJ spoke to aeromedical companies around the world about what they want from assistance companies when collaborating

“We are prepared for the next pandemic”

ITIJ spoke to Martin Muehlmeyer, Director of Operations at FAI, about changes to his role and the air ambulance industry as a whole

Case Study: Haiti Air Ambulance on transporting patients from cruise ships

Kelly Edwards, Clinical Operations Manager at Haiti Air Ambulance, discusses a case in which an 84-year-old cruise guest had to be rescued following a fall

Case Study: European Air Ambulance sets a course for the future

Luxembourg-based European Air Ambulance (EAA), one of the largest specialised providers of air ambulance services in Europe, is setting the course for a successful future by pursuing a customercentric strategy…

Case Study: Malteser AeroMedical | A dream vacation gone wrong – Hippo attack in South Africa

Some cases are so unbelievable, that they are remembered long after the mission was successfully completed. One example - that stuck in the minds of the Malteser AeroMedical Team -…

Case Study: Redstar Aviation on a complicated repatriation case from Singapore to Fort Lauderdale

Some missions take you around the world; this one took the team of Redstar Aviation from the majestic skyscrapers in Singapore all the way to the endless beaches and palm…

Case Study: Airlec Air Ambulance step up to help save a patient's life under tragic circumstances

Like many other couples, a 34-year-old Canadian tourist wanted to enjoy a few days off before the arrival of their baby, booking a so-called ‘babymoon’ on Malta – but things…

Case Study: AirCare1 on the intricacies of transporting a complex paediatric patient

Since the advent of the air ambulance and its eventual evolution into long-range, intensive care units in the sky, its highly trained flight teams are responding to young patients that…

Case Study: AMREF Flying Doctors | A dedicated humanitarian charity out to save lives

AMREF Flying Doctors’ detail an urgent emergency aeromedical evacuation of two patients suffering from gunshot wounds following an attack in a sparsely populated area

ITIJ Air Ambulance Review March 2022 Cover

Aeromedical accreditation in a post-pandemic world

Oliver Cuenca talks to representatives from across the aeromedical accreditation industry about how the coronavirus pandemic has affected global demand, how auditing has had to adapt, and whether there have…

Interview: David Fox, Fox Flight

ITIJ spoke to David Fox, founder and President of air ambulance Fox Flight, about how the business has developed over the past 25 years, and what its plans are as…

How to make tough medical transport decisions

Where in the world should insurers always pay to evacuate their client, and what factors play into that decision? Clara Bullock spoke to assistance providers to find out how they…

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Interview: Redstar Aviation

Redstar Aviation has seized the opportunities for change presented by Covid-19. ITIJ spoke to C. Emre Dursun, CEO of Redstar Aviation, about how they have developed their provision of air…

Breaking air medical transport barriers

Transporting patients across borders can be complicated, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Clara Bullock spoke to air ambulance operators who continue to push boundaries for patients to be transported…

Isolation pods: the rush to save lives

Isolation units flooded the market during the Covid-19 pandemic, with demand unusually high. How did that influence decisions around certification and safety? Clara Bullock spoke to air ambulance providers and…

Interview: AMREF Flying Doctors

Clara Bullock spoke to Stephen Gitau, CEO of Kenya-based air medical service provider AMREF Flying Doctors, about adapting to his role during a pandemic and how he still finds his…

Case Study: AirCARE1 uses High Flow Oxygen Therapy on board its air ambulance

In the past, High Flow Oxygen Therapy has only been used in a hospital setting. After observing the major benefits of this therapy, AirCARE1 incorporated high flow into the company’s…

Case Study: How to transport a patient with respiratory insufficiency

A patient with respiratory insufficiency is likely to aggravate their respiratory distress during transport, especially with aeronautical constraints and pressurisation phenomena

Case Study: Transporting a Covid patient on ECMO across the globe

In August 2021, AirMed International set out to complete a transport that most would consider impossible. They needed to move a Covid-19 patient on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) from the…

Case Study: The challenges of neonatal medical evacuation

Neonatal medical evacuation often presents the biggest medical challenges, particularly in aeromedical transport. To provide the absolute best service, specialist knowledge and equipment is required

Case Study: Airlec Air Ambulance uses first air ambulance configuration of Falcon 900EX

Paul Tiba describes a memorable mission that made use of Airlec’s Falcon 900EX – the world’s first version of the aircraft in air ambulance configuration

Case Study: Providing air medical services in remote locations

Dr Annemay Huppert discusses the importance of preparation in providing air assistance in the most remote locations

Case Study: Unicair on how to safely transport Covid patients

Alex Veldman, Cornelia Rohrbeck, Hans-Jürgen Preuss and Michael Diefenbach report on protocols for the safe transport of Covid patients

Supply chain challenges for insurance and assistance providers

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused widespread disruption across all corners of the travel industry. As companies battle to stay afloat with no income, how have insurers’ supply chains been affected…

Creating a standard for international Covid-19 patient transfers

Can there be a defined international standard for Covid-19 air medical transfers? Mandy Langfield finds out if there is an appetite among air ambulance operators to offer their insurance and…

The Latin American air ambulance sector – market examination

Jackie Annett looks at how the Latin American air ambulance industry has dealt with the pandemic, and how it’s looking forward to welcoming tourists back on board

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Post-Covid missions: are they really 'post'?

TrustAir Aviation’s Medical Director Dr Istvan Lunczer shares the latest challenge facing air ambulance operators – the safe transport of Covid patients who continue to suffer from long-term respiratory distress…

Recruitment for air ambulance companies during and after Covid-19

As the world reemerges from its Covid cocoon, travellers are flying again and some, inevitably, will call on air ambulances to help. Providers are ready, with planning, communication and high-quality…

Interview with Dr Gert Muurling, Group Medical Director, Air Alliance MedFlight

Dr Gert Muurling on what’s changed during his 20-year career, how the pandemic has affected the industry, and a recent complex mission in Kabul

CASE STUDY: AirCARE1 Air Ambulance continues to transport Covid patients

Nat Arnold, Flight Paramedic and Client Relations Specialist at AirCARE1, describes how the company is continuing to care for Covid patients

CASE STUDY: FAI profiles the benefits of psychological support

Dr Sebastian Gautsch, FAI Medical Director, details how adding a psychologist to the medical team repatriating a critical patient was key to a smooth repatriation from Thailand

CASE STUDY: Charles Taylor Assistance in Southeast Asia

A high-budget life-or-death case that required a specialist ECMO helicopter, weeks of intensive care overseas and an air ambulance back to a hospital at home

CASE STUDY: Insta Specialist repatriation during Covid-19

Fung Hung, Aviation Doctor, Medical Coordinator, and Hei Ng, Critical Care Nurse, Operations Director, from Insta Specialist Company Ltd, report on a repatriation from Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, to Hong Kong…

CASE STUDY: Breaking the limits on long range medical transports

Dr Víctor Cervantes, Medical Director of Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, and Carlos Salinas, CEO, outline a world-record long-range aeromedical transport of an ECMO-supported patient from Mexico to South Korea

Air ambulance industry copes well with Covid-19 fallout

With commercial flights suspended across the world, the role that air ambulances play in the travel assistance industry has radically changed during the global pandemic. Robyn Bainbridge investigates how emergency…

Breaking down air ambulance billing – where does the money go?

Air ambulance flight bills can be expensive and difficult for insurers to understand. They are often drawn up quickly right before the flight and can vary hugely between different missions…

Air ambulance accreditation in the era of Covid-19

Keeping service quality high when no-one is looking can be difficult, so when Covid-19 meant that no in-person accreditation visits could take place, the various accreditation organisations around the world…

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Case Study - Lifesupport AA Review March 2021

Case Study: How to get an off-loaded cruise passenger with a fear of flying home? Repatriation under sedation

When a patient needed to be repatriated to the US from Australia, but was too afraid to fly, repatriation under sedation was the only option. LIFESUPPORT Air Medical Services share…

Interview: Francoise Lin of Europ Assistance on air ambulance commissioning

Mandy Langfield spoke to Francoise Lin, International Project Manager of Medical and Travel Networks at Europ Assistance, about the company’s dealings with air ambulance operators - what the criteria was…

Interview: LifeFlight shares their perspective on medical transport progress and changes

Mandy Langfield interviewed two members of the LifeFlight team to identify trends in the air medical transport world that have emerged over the past year, assess the impact of Covid-19…

Case Study - Airlec - AA Review March 2021

Case Study: Simultaneous repatriaton of two covid patients

Airlec Ambulance explains the careful planning that goes into repatriating two Covid patients simultaneously requires

Case Study Aircare1 - AA review March 2021

Case Study: Neonatal ECMO transport within the US

A neonatal patient on ECMO needed a short transfer within the US, which required very meticulous planning and preparation by AirCARE1's air medical team

Case Study - Acute - AA Review March 2021

Case Study: End-of-life repatriation, long transfer, high oxygen needs

Acute Air Ambulance and Aitheras Aviation Group share details of an end-of-life repatriation that needed careful patient management

Covid-19’s effect on the air ambulance market

The current pandemic has had a dramatic effect on air ambulance services, with many reporting lower demand amidst an obviously higher risk of infection. Clara Bullock takes a look at…

Air ambulance operations in Asia

Robyn Bainbridge takes a look at the provision of air medical operators in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region

Interview: Eva Kluge

ITIJ spoke to Eva Kluge, Director of Sales and Business Development for Air Alliance MedFlight, about the challenges 2020 has brought, and how, with the right mindset, providers can adapt…

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Air Ambulance Review | March 2020

Public Relations for air ambulance companies

Nimble tactics and long-term thinking are vital for air ambulance operators seeking to build and protect their image. When all is going well, proactive public relations (PR) can be a…

Financing fleet renewal for air ambulance operators

For fixed-wing air ambulance companies in the private sector, balancing the pros and cons of leasing or outright purchase is key, say operators. But for smaller outfits in different regions…

Air ambulance accreditation update

ITIJ spoke to representatives from EURAMI, CAMTS and NAAMTA to find out their latest news

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Air Ambulance Review | September 2019

Map of Capital Air Ambulance patient journey route Morocco to Spain

CASE STUDY: Capital Air Ambulance

A trauma case in Morocco demonstrates how working for an air ambulance company dealing with foreign repatriations requires the ability to navigate a wide range of unexpected circumstances on arrival…

Insurance for fixed-wing air ambulance operators

Air ambulance operators around the world are under pressure from health insurance and assistance companies to keep prices down, while at the same time, many are dealing with increasing hull…

Detailed flight planning key to air ambulance missions

Proper preparation enables more successful missions. James Paul Wallis goes behind the hangar door with global air ambulance operators to find out more about the effort that goes into ensuring…

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Air Ambulance Review | March 2019

Updates from CAMTS, EURAMI, NAAMTA and other accreditation organisations

ITIJ contacted CAMTS, EURAMI and NAAMTA to find out what the various accreditation organisations have been up to over the past 12 months, and what they hope to achieve in…

Air ambulance partnership deals

James Paul Wallis reports on how partnership deals between air ambulance providers can benefit patients and payers alike

Air ambulance pricing

Does a variation in pricing in the international fixed-wing air ambulance industry reflect differing quality of providers, or are some providers simply making more profit than others? James Paul Wallis…

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