Qatari EMS operator Hamad Medical Corp has announced that they will be buying three new helicopters for their Lifeflight fleet.  The aircraft will be operational before the end of 2013 and provide additional cover to the pair of MD Explorers they currently fly.  Part of the imperative for the new aircraft is the desire for coverage round-the-clock, and not just the 18 hours they currently fly – between 6am and midnight.  No hint has yet been given as to the helicopter type being acquired, apart from the fact that it will be capable of taking two patients.

The air ambulance service currently receives and responds to an average of 110 calls each month with most cases being trauma emergencies: road traffic accidents, all terrain vehicle (ATV) accidents in desert areas, as well as some industrial accidents.

The move will also help to improve response times – there are currently some parts of Qatar which are 25 minutes flying time away, and that is on top of their target of four and a half minutes to get airborne.  After that there are very few airspace restrictions, and Lifeflight almost always flies direct line to the scene.

Jeremy Parkin – HeliHub.com