Svenskt Ambulansflyg (SWE, Umeå) has completed the procurement process for an air ambulance fleet and signed a contract on August 21 for six PC-24s to be delivered in 2021, with an option for up to four additional aircraft. The jets will have a specially adapted medical interior in the cabin and "advanced navigation and communication equipment on board", Svenskt Ambulansflyg said in a statement.
The cabin will have space for up to three patients on beds plus medical staff and will be adapted for intravenous fluids, an incubator, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) equipment. They will have a large cargo door for the rapid loading and unloading of patients, and can also be rearranged for organ transport with up to seven seats for staff.
Svenskt Ambulansflyg is the first European air ambulance organisation to order PC-24s, which were first used in the medevac market by the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. Oscar J Schwenk, chairman of Pilatus Aircraft (PCH, Buochs), said he saw “further worldwide market potential” in this field, adding: “The highly professional selection process confirmed that the PC-24 is indeed the perfect aircraft for medevac missions.”
Publicly-owned Svenskt Ambulansflyg, which is owned and financed by all of Sweden's 21 regions, has established bases at Umeå and Gothenburg Landvetter. It has said it believes that pooling public resources can result in greater efficiently than private providers.
"By collaborating nationally, we can reduce the environmental impact, lower costs, and increase patient safety," said Annika Tännström, chair of the carrier's federal board.
"The aircraft's ability to maintain ground pressure at high altitude makes transports both safe and fast for above all head- and chest-damaged patients," added Helge Brändström, chief medical officer at Svenskt Ambulansflyg.
