Air Ambulance

Air ambulance companies

Air ambulance operators fly patients who need medical care on the way. The work falls into two main types: emergency response by helicopter, usually from a hospital or regional base, and fixed-wing flights for hospital-to-hospital transfers and international medical repatriation, where a patient taken ill or injured abroad is flown home with a doctor or flight nurse on board. Typical clients are travel insurers, assistance companies, hospitals, public health services and families paying privately.

When comparing repatriation providers, check who actually operates the aircraft and holds the Air Operator Certificate, which medical crew and equipment fly with the patient, and whether the company holds an independent medical transport accreditation such as CAMTS in North America or EURAMI in Europe. Ask for a written quote that says whether the price covers bed-to-bed transfer, including ground ambulances at both ends.

We list 421 air ambulance companies, most of them in the United States (113), the United Kingdom (55), India (44), Canada (30) and Germany (24).

Listed operators include ADAC Luftrettung, the German air rescue organisation flying since 1970; Acadian Ambulance Air Medical Services, part of Acadian Companies, founded in 1971; Advanced Medical Solutions, an air ambulance service in Northern Canada; Advanced Paramedic Ltd, an air ambulance and EMS provider in Alberta; and SkyCare Repatriation, which handles medical repatriation across Europe.

Many air ambulance missions overlap with helicopter services and private aircraft charter. For background, see our guides to air ambulance insurance cover, aircraft used for air ambulance work and air ambulance pilot jobs.