Air Ambulance

Domestic Medical Flights

Global Air ambulance offers domestic and international air ambulance services for patients that have moderate to the most critical of medical needs. If your patient will benefit from ICU settings, and requires a swift transfer from one location in the world to anywhere else, then air ambulance is your best choice for air medical transport.

As a result of the current pandemic facing the world, many air ambulance providers are unable to safely transfer Covid-19 patients. If your patient has tested positive for Covid-19, and needs to be transported, we can help. We have a dedicated air ambulance with a Covid isolation pod which allows us to transport Covid patients while still allowing our medical staff to provide excellent care safely.

While air ambulance is the most costly of long distance medical transport options, it is also the most sophisticated, with full ICU capabilities, doctors, registered nurses, respiratory therapists, pediatric/ neonate specialists, psychiatric specialists and critical care paramedics available to meet your patient’s needs.

Air ambulance jets travel slightly faster than commercial jets, fly 10,000 feet higher than commercial airlines, but can fly low enough to maintain cabin pressure as needed. Air ambulances can land at many smaller airports to get very close to your patient, and go to private terminals so that your patient can be brought right to the plane.

Air ambulance planes can, in most cases, be scheduled to pick up your patient much sooner than other options. If your patient needs immediate urgent care at a higher level facility, an air ambulance flight is most likely your best option. With such speed, flexibility, and ICU capability, air ambulances provide the least stressful and quickest method of transferring your patient over long distances.

We're even able to provide high level aeromedical flights to and from the Hawaiian Islands

What Planes Are Used For Air Ambulance Flights?

Global Air Ambulance employs several types of aircraft to ensure the right type of ambulance plane for each patient. All the ambulance aircraft provide the same advanced medical equipment, medicines and medical staff. However, some aircraft fly longer, faster, and with more accessories like full lavatories, than others.

Gulfstreams

The Gulfstream air ambulance is the most comfortable for passengers accompanying the patient on long flights, but is more expensive than other options. Gulfstreams fly longer between stops, can carry more passengers and luggage, have full lavatories and standing headroom. As a result of fewer stops and longer legs, Gulfstream air ambulances lessen total trip time.

LearJets

Most of our clients choose the LearJet air ambulance. LearJets can travel worldwide at less cost than the Gulfstream. LearJets can take two passengers as well as the patient, and travel at the same speed as the Gulfstream. However, the LearJet does not have a walk-in lavatory, has less headroom, and can take less luggage.

King Air And Cessnas

For shorter distances, the King Air and Cessna aircraft are good choices. They cost less than other options but fly at slower speeds, can take only one passenger, and less luggage.

Medical Staff Available On Board Air Ambulance Flights

Our standard Air Ambulance staffing is a combination of a critical care registered nurse and a respiratory therapist. This combination gives a versatile, intensive care capability to meet most patients’ needs.

We will obtain a medical report for the patient prior to the transport and based on the patient’s needs, the medical team makeup could be changed to include a doctor, paramedic, neonate team, and psychiatric nurses. Based on the patient's condition, we will assign the right team to best manage the patient’s conditions.

The air medical crew have extensive skills and training. Each has at least five years experience in their field and have specialized training in air medical transport, and air medical protocols and procedures.

When Is Air Ambulance The Right Option? 

Air ambulance transport can take almost any patient from almost anywhere in the world to anywhere else in the world. However, some medical cases are not recommended for air ambulance, and some places in the world cannot be accessed by air ambulance.

The following patients may not be able to be flown immediately by air ambulance transport:

• Women in labor
• Pregnant women after the 7th month of labor are not recommended to board aircraft because of pressure drops. When a woman is in active labor, the air ambulance industry is not equipped to transport the patient. However, air ambulance can be scheduled to transport the mother and baby after delivery. Air ambulances can safely transport neonates in special, air ambulance incubators.
• Recent Heart Attack
• For the first 24 hours after a heart attack, the patient should be provided proper medication and allowed to stabilize prior to flight.
• Unstable vitals
• While the most critical of patients can be safely transported by air ambulance, if vitals are unstable, stabilizing the patient prior to transport is warranted.
• Dialysis
• immediately after dialysis, patients can be too weakened to transfer. Global Air Ambulance recommends transferring on days between dialysis.

Some locations are not accessible by air ambulance. We can travel to every continent. Yet, some areas of the world that are at war cannot be entered. A few countries have limited even air ambulance travel due to Covid-19. However, while many countries have made entry more difficult due to the Corona Virus, Global Air Ambulance can travel to most to pickup or transfer your patient.

What Is Bed-To-Bed Medical Transport? 

Air ambulance patients can be picked up and dropped off to any number of locations including hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hotels and residences. However, there are some legal, medical, and logistical restrictions.

If a patient is in a medical facility, they are under the care of a medical doctor. That doctor will give either a medical or general discharge for the patient. If the doctor gives a general discharge, then Global Air Ambulance can legally take the patient to anywhere that the family wishes to bring them. However, if the doctor gives a medical discharge, then we are legally obligated to turn the patient over to the care of another doctor. That doctor can be one that accepts patients into home healthcare at your residence or at any number of types of facilities.

If your patient is in a hotel or residence, we can come to them to take them by air ambulance. However, if we arrive to the patient and they are in emergency distress, we are legally obligated to bring them to the local hospital and the trip may end there. Therefore, in some cases, it is better to bring your patient to a hospital for evaluation and observation prior to transport by air ambulance.

The Corona Virus has added additional requirements. Some patients may require Covid-19 testing prior to transport. We can discuss various restrictions upon your initial call.

Global Air Ambulance Manages All Steps Of Your Air Medical Transport

Global Air Ambulance will be with you throughout the process and will handle all aspects of the medical air transport for you. During the initial call, our case manager will discuss all viable options for transport. Once you choose our firm, your case manager will be available throughout the process 24 hours a day for your needs.

We will collect all needed information and provide you with a contract that describes the trip in detail. The case manager will then coordinate with both the sending and receiving facilities to set up your trip according to the date and time that you have chosen. The case manager will also arrange for ground transportation on both sides. Once completed, you will be provided a detailed itinerary of your patient’s air ambulance trip. The trip will be conducted according to the itinerary.

Prior to the trip, our medical staff will conduct a thorough medical assessment of the patient’s condition to clear them for medical air transport. We will also coordinate with the attending and receiving physicians to ensure a seamless continuity of care during your air medical transport. Any special medical and other care requirements, including special diets will be noted.

On the day of travel, your patient and passengers will be picked up at the medical facility. They will be physically assessed prior to transport. Any required equipment and medications will be started and the patient will be transported directly to the plane. They will then be placed on the air ambulance aircraft’s stretcher and placed into the plane.

As an air ambulance life flight, we will have priority to depart immediately toward our destination. If a fuel stop is involved, the medical crew will stay with the patient at all times during the stop.