Kate Sarsfield/LONDON
National Air Service (NAS) plans to kick-start the first Middle East-based commercial medical-evacuation (medevac) service by the end of the year, in conjunction with Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-based King Faisal Specialised Hospital (KFSH). NAS is also considering offering the service to customers of its NetJets Middle East fractional ownership scheme, which it operates with US partner Executive Jet.
"Medical evacuation in the region is provided by operators in Europe and a major concern [for the emergency services] is the lengthy response time," says NAS director-general Mohammed Al Zeer. He adds: "Our operating base will be in Jeddah [alongside the fractional programme] and the service will be available across the Middle East to anyone who requires it."
Under the terms of the memorandum of understanding, signed by the two parties on 14 February, KFSH will lease aircraft through NAS' dedicated Medical Evacuation Programme. The hospital will provide medical staff and equipment, including intensive care units, which, according to Dr Sultan Bahabri, KFSH's business affairs director, "are designed to withstand long flying hours and pressure variations".
NAS believes there will be a "strong" demand for the service, which is likely to be operated by Gulfstream IV-SPs, although no commitment to an aircraft type has yet been made. "We aim to have one aircraft in our fleet by the end of the year and another in 2001," adds Al Zeer.
The business aircraft operator and management company is exploring the possibility of offering the service to its NetJets Middle East customers. The fractional ownership scheme operates two GIV-SPs for eight customers and has an order backlog of 38 jets.
Source: Flight International
