ICU/ECMO Air Ambulance
When a patient in intensive care cannot be cleared for a commercial cabin, Ambulance Flight mobilizes an ICU/ECMO air ambulance configured to hospital ICU standards — fixed ventilators, cardiac monitoring, infusion pumps and, where required, ECMO-compatible transport — with a flight physician and critical-care nurse on every mission.
Who this service is for
- Ventilated patients, or patients on continuous vasopressor or sedation infusions, who cannot fly in a standard cabin.
- ICU patients requiring ECMO support or ECMO-compatible transport continuity during transfer.
- Post-trauma, post-surgical or post-cardiac patients needing uninterrupted intensive-care monitoring in flight.
- Hospitals, insurers and assistance companies coordinating a licensed inter-hospital critical-care transfer.
What's included
- Fixed ICU-grade equipment: ventilator, multi-parameter monitor, syringe and infusion pumps, defibrillator.
- ECMO-compatible aircraft configuration and specialist perfusionist support when the patient's condition requires it.
- A dedicated flight physician and critical-care flight nurse for the full duration of the mission.
- Continuous coordination with the sending ICU before departure and the receiving ICU before landing.
- A complete medical handover file transmitted to the receiving team on arrival.
How it works
Call & clinical assessment
You call our 24/7 desk; our flight physician reviews the patient's ICU chart, ventilator settings and any ECMO requirement with the sending team.
Aircraft & crew mobilized
We select and configure an ICU-capable — or ECMO-compatible — air ambulance and mobilize a flight physician and critical-care nurse matched to the case.
Transfer under continuous monitoring
Ground ambulance to the aircraft, then a fully monitored flight with the same equipment standard as a hospital ICU.
Handover to the receiving ICU
A complete medical file and verbal handover are provided to the receiving intensive-care team on arrival.
Common questions
Yes. For ECMO-dependent patients we configure the aircraft and crew specifically for continuous extracorporeal support, coordinating directly with the sending and receiving ECMO teams before the mission is confirmed.
Every ICU mission carries fixed intensive-care equipment — ventilator, cardiac monitor, infusion pumps and defibrillator — matching the monitoring standard of a hospital intensive-care unit, operated by a flight physician and critical-care nurse.
For genuine emergencies we begin coordinating within minutes of your call and can typically have an aircraft and crew mobilized within hours, depending on aircraft position and the mission's medical requirements.
Related services
A medical situation abroad can't wait.
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