Online charter marketplace Avinode has launched a dedicated emergency assistance platform, driven by the rise in demand for air ambulance and humanitarian flights following the coronavirus outbreak.
The platform, called Avinode Aid, is described by the Swedish company as a “goodwill initiative”, which utilises Avinode technology “to assist the aviation community in its relief efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic”.
Avinode Aid allows all operators to place available ambulance aircraft and helicopters on the Avinode platform for free, whether or not they are members of the online marketplace.
“Brokers can easily find available fixed-wing air ambulances by filtering search results, whilst medical helicopters will be placed in a separate category in Avinode’s helicopter search,” says the Gothenburg-headquartered firm.
Avinode executive vice-president Per Marthinsson says it is “critical” for the business aviation charter community to collaborate during this pandemic, “to find ways to bring special-mission aircraft to those in need”.
He describes technology as “an enabler of this collaboration”, which will initially run until the end of the year.
“We are hopeful that by providing Avinode Aid as a free service for operators, we will connect brokers with the ambulance aircraft their customers need for medical transportation and humanitarian relief,” says Marthinsson.
