Commercial medevac: types and tech

Mark Broadbent investigates the latest developments in a critical area of commercial aviation: the air ambulance sector

Airbus helicopters make up 55% of the global HEMS helicopter fleet
Airbus Helicopters
Two PC-24s are on stand-by in daytime at the Swedish Air Ambulance’s new emergency base at Arlanda Airport, north of Stockholm
Pilatus Aircraft
The EPIShuttle medical isolation system developed by Pilatus and Aerolite
Pilatus Aircraft

Emergency medical services (EMS) is one of the most active, albeit overlooked, parts of commercial aviation, wherein various aircraft types – business jets, turboprops and helicopters – are configured with specialist medical equipment. Industry heavyweights including Textron Aviation, Airbus Helicopters, Gulfstream Aerospace and Pilatus Aircraft are all involved. There are numerous specialist certified air ambulance/medevac operators and service providers globally and an extensive ecosystem of third-party developers supplying bespoke medical interiors.

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