When every hour counts
Get home safely, whatever the emergency.
From a stabilised patient needing a comfortable seat home to a full ICU-level air ambulance, we coordinate the right aircraft, the right medical crew and the right clearances — day or night.
Available around the clock
A single call, not a dozen.
Medical repatriation almost never happens on a convenient schedule. Our team coordinates directly with your travel insurer or assistance company, the treating physician abroad, and the receiving hospital at home, so you or your family make one call and we handle the rest — aircraft, medical crew, ground ambulance transfers and customs clearance for medical equipment.
Need to arrange a repatriation right now?
Our team is reachable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
+33 7 61 77 11 23
Response time
As fast as 4–6 hours
Once guarantee of payment and medical clearance are confirmed, for most European routes.
Medical oversight
Matched to condition
From a single flight nurse escort to a full physician-led ICU team.
What we don't do
Replace your insurer's medical team
We charter and coordinate the aircraft; the assistance company's doctors assess fitness to fly.
Takair is an independent charter broker, not a medical provider. We work alongside your travel insurer, assistance company or a specialist air ambulance medical provider, who remain responsible for the clinical assessment and in-flight care. The information below reflects general industry practice and is not medical advice — always confirm the specific requirements for your case with the treating physician and your assistance company.
Three levels of care
Matching the aircraft to the patient.
Not every repatriation needs a fully medicalised aircraft. The right level depends entirely on the patient's condition, as assessed by the treating physician and confirmed on a Medical Information Form (MEDIF).
01
Ambulatory transport
The patient can sit upright, walk short distances and manage without continuous monitoring, but shouldn't fly commercial — often due to a recent injury, post-operative fatigue, or simply the stress of navigating an airport terminal. A standard cabin seat, sometimes with a companion or a single nurse escort, is usually sufficient.
Nurse escort optionalAny cabin category
02
Stretcher transport
The patient must remain lying flat for the journey — common after fractures, spinal precautions, or when mobility is too limited to sit for the flight duration. Requires a stretcher fitted lengthwise or diagonally in the cabin, a flight nurse or paramedic escort, supplemental oxygen on board, and enough seats removed to fit the stretcher and equipment.
Flight nurse requiredMidsize Jet or largerOxygen on board
03
Full air ambulance / ICU-level
For patients who are ventilated, haemodynamically unstable, or require continuous critical-care monitoring. A physician and a critical-care or flight nurse travel with the patient, alongside a cardiac monitor, ventilator, infusion pumps and emergency medication — effectively an intensive care unit fitted into the cabin.
Physician + nurse teamSpecialist medical operatorSuper Midsize Jet or larger
Before the aircraft is confirmed
What determines fitness to fly.
Cabin pressurisation is the detail most families don't think about until it matters. Even on a private jet, the cabin is typically pressurised to the equivalent of 6,000–8,000 feet altitude at cruise, not sea level — which reduces the amount of oxygen available and can expand any trapped gas in the body. Several common conditions change what's needed before departure.
Respiratory conditions
Oxygen-dependent patients
- Severe COPD, recent pulmonary embolism or low blood oxygen saturation may require supplemental oxygen for the entire flight, or an aircraft capable of a lower cabin altitude
- A physician-completed MEDIF form determines the required oxygen flow rate in advance
- Portable oxygen concentrators are generally preferred over pressurised cylinders, which face stricter carriage restrictions
Recent surgery · Timing matters
Post-operative & recent pneumothorax
- A recent pneumothorax (collapsed lung) generally requires a 10–14 day waiting period after full radiological resolution before flying, due to gas expansion at altitude
- Recent abdominal or eye surgery involving trapped gas has its own required waiting window, confirmed by the treating surgeon
- Sickle cell crisis, severe anaemia and unstabilised recent cardiac events are typically deferred until medically stable
These windows are set by the treating physician on a case-by-case basis — we always defer to their written clearance before confirming an aircraft.
Documentation
MEDIF & fitness-to-fly clearance
- A Medical Information Form (MEDIF), completed by the treating physician, is the industry-standard document assessing fitness to fly and required equipment
- A written fit-to-fly certificate is typically required within 24–72 hours of departure
- The receiving hospital's acceptance letter confirms a bed and care team are ready on arrival
Insurance & payment
Guarantee of payment
- Most air ambulance and repatriation flights require a guarantee of payment (GOP) from the travel insurer or assistance company before the aircraft is dispatched
- Self-pay repatriations are possible — we confirm a firm quote before departure in either case
- We liaise directly with the assistance company so the family isn't caught between the insurer and the operator
Special situations
Bariatric & mobility-limited patients
- Patients above standard stretcher weight limits need a reinforced bariatric stretcher and a larger cabin category confirmed in advance
- Wheelchair-to-stretcher and aircraft-door clearance is checked against the specific aircraft's door width before booking
- Ground ambulance transfer at both ends is arranged as part of the same booking, door to door
Border formalities
Medical equipment & medication
- Controlled medications carried for pain management may require a customs declaration or a physician's letter, depending on the countries involved
- Medical devices (ventilators, monitors, pumps) generally travel without issue but are listed on the flight's general declaration
- Every case is checked against the specific departure and arrival countries before wheels-up
Cabin fit
Which aircraft actually take a stretcher.
A stretcher needs roughly 6.5 to 7 feet of usable length, fitted diagonally or lengthwise once several seats are removed — which rules out the smallest cabins entirely. As a guide, based on the categories in our fleet:
| Aircraft category | Practical guidance |
|---|
| Entry Level Jet / Light Jet | Cabin generally too narrow or short for a stretcher — suitable only for ambulatory transport with a seated escort. |
| Midsize Jet | The practical minimum for stretcher transport — one stretcher fits with a nurse escort and basic equipment, in a tighter cabin. |
| Super Midsize / Heavy Jet | Comfortable stretcher placement with room for a physician-led team, monitoring equipment and a family member alongside. |
| Ultra Long Range Jet / Airliner | Full ICU-level configuration with space for multiple medical crew, equipment and, on the largest cabins, more than one patient. |
Door width and the angle needed to load a stretcher also vary by aircraft, even within the same category — we confirm the exact configuration against the aircraft's real dimensions before booking, not just its category.
Before you call
What to have ready.
Patient's current condition and diagnosis, as told to you by the treating team
Treating hospital's name, city and contact details
Travel insurer or assistance company name and policy number, if applicable
Preferred receiving hospital at home, if already known
Passport and ID details for the patient and any accompanying family
Any known mobility needs: wheelchair, stretcher, bariatric equipment
Whether payment will be via insurance guarantee or self-pay
A contact number reachable at short notice
Need to arrange a repatriation?
Call us directly, any hour — we'll start coordinating the aircraft and medical crew while your insurer confirms cover.
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