The industrial revolution that began at the dawn of the 17th century A.D. (1600) has no doubt expanded all the cities in the world and gave birth to new ones. It has also ushered in rapid advancements in all the domains of Science and Technology including healthcare facilities. 

Unfortunately, this advancement in Science and Technology is not evenly distributed across all countries. Some countries like the US, the UAE, the UK, China, Japan, Canada, etc. are highly developed and have advanced healthcare facilities while some countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Cuba, etc. are underdeveloped and lack adequate healthcare facilities for their citizens. 

This lack of adequate healthcare facilities in underdeveloped countries implies that if someone in these countries falls seriously sick or gets badly injured in a road accident or due to other reasons, they need to be transported to countries with advanced healthcare facilities to save their lives.

Enter, air ambulances. Air ambulances like medical helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft can travel much faster than traditional van ambulances. They can also travel unhindered between various countries, and transport patients to countries with advanced healthcare facilities thus saving their lives. 

Air ambulances are much faster, much more convenient to use, and have a lot of advantages over traditional road ambulances. In this article, we’re going to have a look at how much an international air ambulance flight costs from Dubai to London or vice versa and the top 5 air ambulance service providers in the world. So, kindly read on to find out. 

Top 5 Air Ambulance Service Providers in the World

Air ambulances are not hindered by the traffic on the road, they are also not adversely affected by the changing weather conditions, they can travel swiftly and smoothly between countries, and they can carry much more medical equipment and medical staff on board than traditional van ambulances. These are the reasons why air ambulances are in high demand these days. 

Though it is heartening to see quite a few air ambulance service providers around the world offering valuable medical and transportation services to people, hospitals around the world too must develop helipads and advanced healthcare facilities lest the service areas of air ambulances will be curtailed. 

The following are the top 5 air ambulance service providers in the world. Via their swift and convenient air ambulance service, they have helped save innumerable lives and are the need of the hour for many countries as of today. 

Air Methods

Air Methods was founded in 1980 by Mr. Roy Morgan. This company has an amazing 450 medical helicopters and 450 fixed-wing aircraft in its fleet. Most of them are owned by the company while some of them have been leased. This company ties up with around 40 leading hospitals in the US and has around 4,500 employees. This company is the world’s number one air ambulance service provider.    

Air Med International

Air Med International was founded in 2003 by Mr. Jeffrey Tolbert. This company operates 4 fixed-wing aircraft in its fleet that can be booked via the company’s official website. This company has tie-ups with 50 hospitals worldwide and has around 200 employees worldwide. This air ambulance service provider specializes in serving hospitals attached to/in international and domestic airports. 

Acadian Air Med

Acadian Air Med was founded in 1971 by Mr. Richard Zuschlag who is the CEO and chairman of the company. This company has 9 medical helicopters and 2 fixed-wing aircraft in its fleet. At present this company has tie-ups with 32 leading hospitals in the US. This company has around 5,000 employees at present. 

Babcock International Group PLC

Babcock International Group PLC was founded in 1891 by Mr. George Herman Babcock. This company has around 20 medical helicopters and 20 fixed-wing aircraft in its fleet. They were partly funded by crowdfunding. 

This company operates in Australia, Finland, France, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the UK and has tie-ups with around 200 hospitals in all those countries. This company has around 26,000 employees in Europe at present. 

PHI Air Medical 

PHI Air Medical was founded in 1949 by Mr. Robert L Suggs. This company currently has around 131 medical helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft in its fleet that operate around 69 airports around the world. This company has tie-ups with 65 hospitals worldwide and currently has around 5,000 employees. This company is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. 

How Much Does an International Air Ambulance Flight Cost from London to Dubai or Vice Versa? 

The exact air ambulance cost per mile cannot be stated because it depends on the type of air ambulance being used, its size, its mileage, the number of medical equipment inside the aircraft, and the size of the crew. 

Generally speaking, an air ambulance trip from London to Dubai or vice versa can cost anywhere between ￡8,000 and ￡39,000 or between AED 36,880 and AED 179,790. Sadly, even to this day, air ambulance services are not cheap and remain beyond the reach of the common man worldwide. 

Our Take

Air ambulances are definitely the need of the hour for many countries. Though it is heartening to see quite a few air ambulance service providers worldwide, only about 1% of the hospitals worldwide have helipads and there are only a handful of hospitals that are a part of domestic and international airports. 

Unless the number of hospitals with helipads increases tangibly worldwide, air ambulance service providers will be restricted to carrying out only tens of thousands of medical transport missions worldwide rather than executing millions of medical transport missions successfully. 

The population of the world has exploded since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution and cities around the world have become uber congested. Even though van ambulances get the highest priority in traffic, they have quite a few limitations that air ambulances don’t have and are limited in their capacity to save lives. 

Governments around the world should wake up to the fact that their cities have become congested and at least ensure that government hospitals have advanced medical facilities and helipads to enable the global usage of air ambulances. The air ambulance cost per mile also needs to be made more economical by air ambulance service providers around the world so that the common man can benefit from this service. 

FAQs 

• How many people are allowed in an air ambulance apart from the crew?

Generally, up to 2 family members of the patient are allowed in an air ambulance. However, this number can increase if the air ambulance is a small aircraft. 

• Generally, how far can air ambulances fly without refueling? 

Generally speaking, air ambulances can cover up to 2400 kilometers without refueling. They are mainly used for international travel. 

• What are the major precautions to be taken before a company decides to provide air ambulance service?

The major precautions to be taken before a company decides to provide air ambulance service are all their air ambulances should be checked and maintained periodically, the pilots piloting the air ambulances should be certified and seasoned, and they should only have tie-ups with those hospitals that have helipads or are located in airports so that their air ambulances can land safely. 

• What is the role of a ventilator in an air ambulance of any kind?

Ventilators as the name suggests vent out the heat produced by the engines of air ambulances and prevent them from overheating and thereby malfunctioning. 

• Apart from medical equipment, what is one other key safety feature that air ambulances must have? 

Apart from medical equipment, air ambulances worldwide must have parachutes for the safety of their passengers and crew. 

• What group of blood do air ambulances carry?

All air ambulances worldwide carry blood belonging to the O- (O negative) group which is considered a universal donor.