Elie Abdo

International Air Charter (IAC), a leading independent private jet charter broker, is offering the services of dedicated medical evacuation (medevac) aircraft to meet the growing demand in the UAE and the Middle East region.

The regional demand for medevac services is forecast to rise even as huge investments in healthcare infrastructure and services continue to be made across the Arab world.

The medevac market here offers considerable potential as the service providers are currently responding to around 30-40 requests a month.

Furthermore, while international missions used to involve mostly transports to medical facilities in Europe and the USA, the rise in the number of available high standard medical facilities in the Middle East has increased patient options and consequently the frequency of medevac enquiries in the region.

IAC is strategically positioned to support this demand as it has 24-hour access to an incomparable fleet of dedicated medevac aircraft around the world and can respond to medical emergencies in a matter of a few hours via its network, while always adhering to the highest international safety standards.

“Medevac has become a more viable option for the UAE thanks to the influx of modern medical facilities within the UAE and throughout the region,” said Elie Abdo, managing partner – Middle East, IAC.

“The current size of the local fleet will simply not be enough to accommodate any more surges in demand, as a result we intend to enhance the availability of our global network of medevac aircraft and help augment the market,” he added.

“The growing popularity and affordability of medevac flights means that we have the opportunity to save more lives in the UAE and the region, so we have moved up this segment in our service priorities.”

Medevac patients in the GCC region vary from clients requiring urgent repatriation, to victims of serious traffic accidents or children requiring immediate medical assistance due to congenital complications.

“IAC aviation consultants have to know exactly what equipment is available and whether it can be matched to the requirements of the emergency,” Abdo continued.

“Medevac aircraft supplied by IAC gravitates towards operators for whom air ambulance is a core business, as experience in this sector means that problems can be anticipated and pre-empted. In an emergency situation, fast repatriation can save a life or limit the risk of long-term health problems.

"There are a great many dynamics involved in medical flights and a wide range of skills are needed, from medical teams, doctors, technicians and pilots. The key is to combine maximum time saving with 100 per cent reliability," Abdo conlcluded.

IAC ensures that the medevac aircraft they offer hold the appropriate medical licences and medical indemnity insurance and have dedicated specialist medical teams and equipment to entirely meet the needs of the patient, a statement said. – TradeArabia News Service