Germany-based general aviation and air ambulance specialist operator FAI rent-a-jet Aktiengesellschaft (Flight Ambulance International) has begun the first ever conversion of a civilian Global Express aircraft into a medevac configuration.
US-based medical and air ambulance equipment specialists Spectrum Aeromed will develop and build a bespoke intensive care unit that will be installed on the Global Express by FAI’s MRO subsidiary FAI Technik in Nuremberg, Germany.
The newly equipped aircraft will be based at the FAI facility at Albrecht Dürer International Airport in Nuremberg and is expected to enter service in its new configuration before the end of 2015.
“With this conversion we are trying to fill a small but important niche in the air ambulance market for ultra-long range transport of VIP patients from Asia and the Middle East to and from the USA,” said Siegfried Axtmann, FAI’s chairman.
“We initially collaborated with Spectrum three years ago when we developed the first multi-patient interior for a CRJ200. That project was extremely successful so we have once again chosen Spectrum as we know they can match our expectations in terms of scope of work, budget and delivery times.” The ICU’s basic system can also be used on the FAI Challengers and Learjet aircraft types.
In addition to the upgraded Global Express, FAI has also added a ninth Learjet 60 to its fleet as it continues its strategy of replacing its older aircraft types with newer models. The Learjet 60 will be dedicated to special mission and medevac purposes. A fifth Challenger 604 is also expected to join the fleet before the end of September 2015.
August 19, 2015
