Portuguese Air Force (Forca Aerea Portuguesa) Medical Evacuation

The Portuguese Air Force, in Portuguese Forca Aerea Portuguesa, is the military air service of Portugal. Alongside its defence role it flies helicopters for search and rescue and for urgent patient transport. This is a government and military service, not a commercial air ambulance company.

Services

The Air Force site reports missions in which helicopter crews move sick patients and rescue people at sea. A news item from 17 October 2026 describes one crew that finished an inter-island transport of three patients who needed specific health care. The same crew then flew a sea rescue and took a patient off a cargo ship about 463 kilometres northeast of Terceira Island in the Azores.

Aircraft and units

The squadron list names two helicopter squadrons that fly the EH-101 Merlin, Esquadra 751 "Pumas" and Esquadra 752 "Fenix". The Air Force also lists the Black Hawk and AW119 helicopters in other squadrons. The news item says the sea rescue was run by the Lajes Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, after a request from the maritime rescue centre in Ponta Delgada.

Who it is for

Missions are tasked through rescue coordination centres. The site does not offer a booking service for private patients. People in an emergency should contact the official emergency services.

Facts

• Type: government and military service with its own helicopters
• Operator: Forca Aerea Portuguesa (Portuguese Air Force)
• Helicopter type named for rescue work: EH-101 Merlin
• Missions seen on its site include the Azores and sea rescue
• Slogan on the site: "A voar, protegemos"