CharterDesk coordinates medical flight from Nîmes to Beirut
CharterDesk has coordinated an air ambulance flight carrying a patient from Nîmes, France, to Beirut, Lebanon, following surgery. The operation required close contact between the patient’s hospital doctor and the doctor travelling on board, as well as flight permits and arrangements for ambulance access at the aircraft.
A Learjet 45 configured as an ambulance jet carried the patient, one family member, a doctor, a nurse and the aircraft’s cabin crew. Its cabin was fitted with a stretcher and medical equipment. The equipment required for the flight was determined jointly by the hospital doctor and the in-flight doctor in light of the patient’s condition.
Gökhan Kaya, a member of the CharterDesk team, handled the flight, while colleagues managed the operation remotely. The company received the customer’s request approximately a week before departure, when the patient was due to undergo surgery. The team then monitored the arrangements alongside the patient’s post-operative assessment and the doctors’ decision on whether the patient could travel.
“The patient’s condition set the timetable,” said Emir Özdabak, Managing Director of CharterDesk. “We had to wait for the hospital report and the doctor’s approval before we could confirm that the patient was fit to fly. At the same time, we prepared the aircraft and the flight arrangements so the transfer could proceed once that approval came through.”
The flight was scheduled for 48 hours after the medical certificate confirming fitness to fly was issued. CharterDesk said the hospital doctor and the doctor on board remained in direct contact before departure. That communication helped the team plan the patient’s transfer from hospital to ambulance, onto the aircraft and into hospital care on arrival.
“The main challenge was making sure the patient was fit to fly after surgery,” Özdabak said. “The hospital doctor and the doctor on board were in direct contact before the flight. Their assessment guided the medical arrangements and the final decision on when the journey could take place.”
CharterDesk also arranged the permits required for the operation in France and Lebanon. Its partner in France helped secure permission for the flight at Nîmes Airport and coordinated access that allowed the ambulance to reach the aircraft directly. This reduced the distance the patient needed to be moved between vehicles before departure.
“Permits and ground access were essential parts of the plan,” Özdabak said. “Our partner in France helped us obtain the necessary permission at Nîmes and ensured the ambulance could drive up to the aircraft. For a patient transfer, those arrangements have to work alongside the flight plan and the medical team’s instructions.”
The ambulance brought the patient to Nîmes Airport about an hour before the aircraft’s 11.00 local departure. The Learjet arrived in Beirut at 17.30 local time, and the patient was taken directly to hospital after landing. CharterDesk put the flight time at approximately five hours. The transfer was completed during the day.
The operation brought together aircraft availability, medical clearance, flight planning, permits and ambulance movements within the week between the initial request and departure. Each stage depended on confirmation of the patient’s condition after surgery.
“This was planned step by step over the course of a week,” Özdabak said. “We had to bring together a suitable aircraft, the flight approvals and the doctors’ clearance, while allowing for the patient’s recovery. Once the medical certificate was issued, the team was able to schedule the flight for 48 hours later.”
