Abu Dhabi-based Prestige Jet (Chalet No. 23) is expanding its air ambulance business to cater for a strong surge in demand for its medical evacuation and repatriation services. Yesterday, the company announced the formation of a new subsidiary, Prestige Flight Ambulance (PFA), which will make a dedicated Bombardier Challenger 604 and Learjet 55 available around the clock to carry patients to and from the United Arab Emirates.

The two aircraft will be fully equipped with an onboard intensive care unit and highly qualified medical staff. Patients can be accompanied by their own physicians and an all-female crew can be provided when needed. Prestige Jet expects a 60-percent growth in operations by adding these two aircraft.

Last week, Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority granted an air operators certificate to Prestige Jet. This will allow it to establish a charter base in the country (see page 36).
“Our medical evacuation services have been recognized as the foremost in the industry in the region,” said Prestige Jet chairman HE Gaith Ben Hamil Al-Gaith. “We have recently won the UAE Ministry of Health tender because we provide a service of the highest standards, to ensure the comfort and safety of patients seeking or requiring treatment elsewhere in the world.”

Managing director Faris Deeb added that this latest development follows high demand for air ambulance services from the private sector, as well as from private hospitals, government and the military. “Since the beginning of the year we have been tasked with more than 45 medical evacuation missions that included critical cases from the health ministry, local health authorities and private hospitals, with a 100 percent success rate,” he said.