Medical emergency air assets carried out 29 missions in the first half of July

The FAP has been collaborating in emergency air transport since the beginning of July, a temporary solution given the impossibility of the company awarded the service ( Gulf Med ), for 77 million euros, to start the full operation on July 1, as provided for in the contract signed with the National Institute of Medical Emergency ( INEM ).

A note released today by INEM indicates that the two helicopters with which Gulf Med began the service and which only operate during the day (12 hours a day) were activated on 24 occasions, while the Portuguese Air Force ( FAP ) resources responded to five missions.

Of the 24 helicopter missions operated by Gulf Med, 14 were primary, that is, deployments directly to the scene of the incident, and 10 corresponded to transfers between hospital units.

The helicopter based in Macedo de Cavaleiros was activated on 12 occasions, having carried out nine primary and three secondary missions.

The aircraft based in Loulé was activated for five primary and seven secondary missions.

In turn, the Portuguese Air Force (FAP) air force carried out five missions, two of which were primary and the rest secondary.

According to information released today by INEM, after Gulf Med started on July 1st with only two helicopters – and not the four initially planned in the international public tender –, on Wednesday, July 16th, the third aircraft entered service, which will only operate during the day and will be stationed in Évora.

This is the third aircraft to enter into operation under the direct agreement signed with Gulf Med, which had already informed that it would not be able to have the four aircraft and the necessary pilots operational on July 1.

Since July 1st, FAP has been collaborating with INEM to guarantee emergency helitransportation during the transition period of the service to the new operator (Gulf Med), which will be responsible for the operation until 2030, as a result of the international public tender.

INEM reported that the operation is being implemented "gradually", in order to comply with "all the requirements of European aviation legislation, essentially related to ensuring the safety of the operation".

After the transitional phase, the INEM Medical Emergency Helicopter Service will consist of four medium helicopters exclusively dedicated to medical emergency missions, compatible with the transport of incubators, operating 24 hours a day.