Air Ambulance and Medevac Services and Organizations
Author: Disabled World (DW)
Updated/Revised Date: 31 Jul 2026
Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - About This Section - FAQs - Publications - Subtopics
Synopsis
An overview of air ambulance and medevac services, including aeromedical history, equipment and organizations that transport patients by aircraft.
At a Glance
- 1 - The world's first full-time air ambulance service began in the Australian outback in 1928 and became the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
- 2 - Marie Marvingt established the first civil air ambulance service in Africa in Morocco in 1934.
- 3 - Air ambulances carry equipment such as ventilators, medications, ECG and monitoring units, CPR equipment, and stretchers.
- 4 - In the United States, the first air ambulance service was the Schaefer Air Service, founded in 1947 by J. Walter Schaefer in Los Angeles.
Topic Definition
- Air Ambulance
An air ambulance is a specially equipped aircraft, either a helicopter or a fixed wing plane, used to transport injured or seriously ill people when a conventional ground ambulance cannot reach the scene quickly enough or when distance and difficult terrain make air travel the most practical option. Operations of this kind are known as aeromedical, and the aircraft carry much of the same lifesaving equipment found in ground ambulances, including ventilators, medications, ECG and monitoring units, CPR gear, and stretchers, along with trained medical crews who care for the patient throughout the flight. Closely related is medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac, which describes the timely movement and en route care of patients from a battlefield, accident scene, or under equipped rural hospital to a facility better able to treat them. Air ambulance services are funded and run in many different ways around the world, from government programs and military operations to fee for service providers and charities supported by public donations.
Overview
Defining Air Ambulances and Their Purposes
An air ambulance is an aircraft used for emergency medical assistance in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot reach the scene easily or quickly enough, or the patient needs to be transported over a distance or terrain that makes air transportation the most practical transport. These and related operations are referred to as Aeromedical.
Air Ambulance: An air ambulance is a specially outfitted aircraft that transports injured or sick people in a medical emergency or over distances or terrain impractical for a conventional ground ambulance. These and related operations are called aeromedical. In some circumstances, the same aircraft may be used to search for missing or wanted people. Like ground ambulances, air ambulances are equipped with medical equipment vital to monitoring and treating injured or ill patients. Common equipment for air ambulances includes medications, ventilators, ECG's and monitoring units, CPR equipment, and stretchers.
Medical Evacuation: Often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and enroute care provided by medical personnel to wounded being evacuated from a battlefield, to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of an accident to receiving medical facilities, or to patients at a rural hospital requiring urgent care at a better-equipped facility using medically equipped ground vehicles (ambulances) or aircraft (air ambulances).
The first civilian uses of aircraft as ambulances were probably incidental. In northern Canada, Australia, and in the Scandinavian countries, remote, sparsely populated settlements were often inaccessible by road for months at a time, or even year round.
Air ambulance crews are supplied with equipment that enables them to provide medical treatment to a critically injured or ill patient. Common equipment for air ambulances includes ventilators, medication, an ECG, and monitoring unit, CPR equipment, and stretchers.
Air ambulance services, sometimes called Aeromedical Evacuation or simply Medevac, are provided by a variety of different sources in different places in the world.
There are several reasonable methods of differentiating types of air ambulance services. These include military/civilian models and services that are government-funded, fee-for-service, donated by a business enterprise, or funded by public donations.
In 1928 the first formal, full-time air ambulance service was established in the Australian outback. This organization became the Royal Flying Doctor Service and continues operating to the present.
In 1934, the first civil air ambulance service in Africa was established in Morocco by Marie Marvingt.
Following the end of the Second World War, the first civilian air ambulance in North America was established by the Saskatchewan government in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, which had both remote communities and great distances to consider in the provision of health care to its citizens. The Saskatchewan air ambulance service continues to be active as of 2009.
In the United Kingdom, the Scottish Ambulance Service operates two helicopters and two fixed-wing aircraft twenty-four hours per day. These represent the UK's only government-funded air ambulance service.
In the United States, 1947 saw the creation of the Schaefer Air Service, the country's first air ambulance service. This service was founded by J. Walter Schaefer, of Schaefer Ambulance Service in Los Angeles, California.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an air ambulance cost
Costs vary widely by distance, aircraft type, and country, and can range from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars, though some services are government funded or covered by insurance or membership schemes.
Does insurance cover air ambulance transport
Coverage depends on your policy and provider, so it is wise to check whether emergency air transport is included and whether pre authorization is needed.
What is the difference between an air ambulance and medevac
An air ambulance is the aircraft itself, while medevac refers to the wider process of moving and caring for a patient during evacuation by air or ground.
When is an air ambulance used instead of a ground ambulance
It is used when a location is hard to reach, when great distances are involved, or when a patient needs rapid transfer to specialized care.
Who staffs an air ambulance
Crews typically include pilots plus medical personnel such as flight paramedics, nurses, and sometimes physicians trained in critical care transport.
Can family members travel on an air ambulance
Some services allow one relative to accompany the patient depending on space, weight limits, and the patient's medical condition, so it is best to ask in advance.
How do I arrange an air ambulance for a non-emergency transfer
You can contact a licensed air ambulance provider or work through a hospital or insurer to schedule a planned medical transfer between facilities.
Curated and edited by Ian C. Langtree, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Disabled World. This section is maintained by the Disabled World editorial team.
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