Mission impossible made possible

When two assistance companies approached Airlec with an urgent request to repatriate severely ill patients from Papua New Guinea and Australia to Europe, the task seemed impossible. The challenges were many: remote locations, complex routing, pilot-duty time limitations, and the critical medical conditions of the patients. However, Airlec, renowned for its long-distance missions, was determined to find a way.

At Airlec, the motto:
“No challenge is big enough,
and nothing is impossible”,
drives the team's approach

Flight capability

In June 2021, Airlec added a Falcon 900 EX to its fleet, a jet capable of flying globally with fewer fuel stops. This aircraft would play a crucial role in the mission. Airlec's triple-patient repatriation success The request from the assistance companies was straightforward yet daunting: “We cannot find any solution to repatriate our patients by commercial airline due to their severe medical conditions.”

The task required meticulous planning and flawless execution. The mission involved picking up patients from Papua New Guinea, Brisbane, and Perth, and safely transporting them to Bordeaux and Paris. Sharing costs between the two insurance companies helped reduce expenses on all sides, making the mission feasible.

At Airlec, the motto: “No challenge is big enough, and nothing is impossible”, drives the team's approach. They believe that every problem has a solution when everyone works together with open communication and strong partnerships. With this mindset, Airlec assigned a dedicated team to manage the mission, ensuring seamless information flow and coordination.

Getting the green light

After receiving medical clearance from Airlec’s Medical Director, Dr Coz, the next step was to assign the crew. Given the complexity of the mission, Airlec doubled the medical crew and extended the flight crew to ensure optimal care and safety. The dispatch department immediately began working on the routing and obtaining necessary permissions – a process that typically takes up to 48 hours. The mission also required express visas for the entire crew and commercial airline tickets for prepositioning part of the medical team. The plan involved one medical crew flying to Papua New Guinea, while the other team was prepositioned in Perth via a commercial flight.

Given the complexity of the
mission, Airlec doubled the
medical crew and extended
the flight crew to ensure
optimal care and safety

The pickups

With all permits in hand, the mission commenced. The Falcon 900 EX, with only two fuel stops, reached its first destination. After a formal rest period and a bedside visit to assess the patient's fitness for flight, the team proceeded to Brisbane for the second pickup. Thanks to well-coordinated efforts and strong partnerships, a tarmac transport with a full medical team was organised to safely hand over the patient to Airlec’s crew.

The final leg of the journey involved picking up the third patient in Perth. The second medical team, already positioned there, ensured a smooth transition from hospital to aircraft. After having put the patient safely on board, the journey to Bordeaux resumed. With just one more fuel stop, the Falcon landed at Airlec's headquarters, where one patient was transported to CHU Bordeaux, and the remaining two were flown to Paris with a fresh flight crew on the Hawker 1000.

This mission was a significant organisational and medical challenge, but with open communication and strong partnerships, Airlec successfully turned the impossible into reality.