Air Medical Group Holdings (AMGH), which is the largest private air ambulance network in the world, has entered India. AMGH has promised that the services would be offered at a fraction of the price that it charges elsewhere. For a country like India, where household incomes are much smaller than the developed world, this could be great news. AMGH has tied up with Aviators Air Rescue in the country to make medical flights available under its name.
India is a Huge Market for Medical Flights
One of the primary reasons that AMGH has entered Indian air ambulance market could be the country’s huge population, which is over 1.2 billion. Even a small percentage of this population using medical flights could mean a customer base of millions for AMGH. Added to that, over 100,000 people meet with road accidents in India every year. That’s not all; over 60 million people suffer from heart conditions in the country. Such statistics make a great market for a privately held company that offers emergency medical flight services.
Medical Flights Could Counter Bad Infrastructure of the Country
India is a country known for its traffic jams and poor road infrastructure. Medical flights can easily bypass such hurdles and provide life-saving support to the citizens of the country. AMGH would be starting its operations in three major cities of India including Bangalore. Each base would have about 20 people and would include qualified personnel. AMGH is expected to invest about $500 million to maintain a fleet of 50 choppers.
As things stand in India, regulations prevent medical flights to explore the country’s skies freely. The medical flights are not allowed to land on helipads maintained by hospitals without prior notice. The medical flights would need special permission from the military and the Director General of Civil Aviation. However, efforts are on to overcome these hurdles and make medical flights a reality in the country.
