FAIs air ambulance division has been operating at maximum capacity to meet the high number of requests for repatriation and medevac flights. Since March FAI has performed almost 70 flights of COVID-19 patients in 47 countries with the single patient isolation and transport system EpiShuttle.
FAI is one of the world’s leading global provider of aviation services, logging far above 10,000 hours per year flying air ambulance missions. In the month of April FAI did nearly 800 hours of flying on mostly medevac missions. So far FAI has transported patients with the EpiShuttle in 47 countries, including difficult destinations as Iraq, China and South Sudan.
"I am immensely proud of the way FAI Air Ambulance and our talented team of professionals responded to the immense challenges of the pandemic. We have collaborated with EpiGuard in on further development in safe isolation and transport. Our investments in the EpiShuttle has increased our efficiency in covid-19 transport and we have had flights with CBRN patients with the EpiShuttle as well," said Volker Lemke who heads FAI´s Air Ambulance Division.
To this date, FAI has been to 69 airports all over the world with the EpiShuttle. The The EpiShuttle opens up for transport of COVID-19 patients by air. Airflow inside a helicopter or a fixed wing aircraft can easily cause virus to flow from the patient to the pilots. Operating an aircraft wearing personal protection accessories may not be an option, and transport of contagious patients can put an entire crew on the ground.
"Collaborating with a professional partner as FAI gives us firsthand information on the use of the EpiShuttle as well as insight to practicalities you only experience in the field of duty," said Ellen Cathrine Andersen, CEO in EpiGuard.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the aviation sector is enormous and the industry has been to massive changes the last few months. FAI is now nominated as the Air Ambulance Company of the Year category in this year’s International Travel & Health Insurance Journal´s (ITIJ) Industry Awards.
