Book Air Ambulance launches India’s first-ever affordable ambulance service

May 13, 2020: Book Air Ambulance, a flagship venture of Flaps Aviation has announced the launch of India’s first-ever affordable air ambulance service - ‘Cashless Air Ambulance’. Three King Air C90 aircraft are used for this service. Captain Amit Kumar, founder and CEO of Flaps Aviation launched the service in Mumbai in a web press meet today.

Addressing the needs of emergency medical services, Kumar stated, “We are expecting a major breakthrough by joining hands with some insurance companies to cover the patient’s air ambulance transfers that will positively impact the company’s growth.”

Hitherto, air medical transfers of the patients were considered to be a costly affair availed only by a high income – group people leaving a huge class of masses out of the service ambit. The factors such as distance, flying time, the cost of hiring an aircraft, incidental bed–to–bed transfer charges and cost of deployment of medical crew members had made the service exorbitant to range anywhere between Rs 2.5 lakh to even Rs 18 lakh per patient transfer depending on the distance covered.

He added. “We are the first aviation company to design a programme like ‘Cashless Air Ambulance’ that will bring air ambulance services within the ambit of every Indian. This will be an exclusive online membership programme whereby individuals from any city or a town can access and avail this life–saving facility for himself or his family member in a distress situation. Availing this service cashless, a member can shift a critically–ill patient by air to any preferred super–specialty hospital in any city in the country swiftly under a strict supervision of a medical crew thereby enhancing the chances of the patient’s survival. It will change the entire eco-system of the air medical evacuation segment.”

On the operations front, the ‘Cashless Air Ambulance’ membership programme will extend a much-needed safety cover to the family of six members at an economical price point of Rs. 5,000. To make it truly a cashless affair, it will further provide one airlifting completely free of cost to a member for specific critical medical emergencies anywhere in India. It will also grant a 50 per cent discount on air tariff or normal air ambulance charges on all other patient transfers. This programme will be renewable every year and a member can access super-specialty hospitals, pharmacy outlets, diagnostics, health products, etc. at attractive rates.

Various complicated situations such as cardiac arrests, neurological issues, burns, multiple fractures, multiple organ failures, etc. could be handled under this programme with the help of the company’s range of aircraft, experienced doctors, a paramedic crew, advanced medical equipment and experienced pilots reaching out to rescue of the patient at the need of the hour.

Currently, Book Air Ambulance is operating all across India in metros like Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and other Tier II and III cities in India.

Talking on the future plans, Suresh Pai, head finance, Flaps Aviation said, “We are eyeing 30 to 35 percent growth in the next three years by adding a lakh of customer. Once this programme is geared up, we will increase the number of aircraft.  The expansion will be funded through internal accruals and external funding. We are discussing with corporates to provide this service to their employees.”

In the last three years, the company has reported a growth of 25 per cent on a year-on-year basis.

Pai highlighted that the operational cost per flight is around 2.5 lakh, which flies 3.6 hours a day on an average.

During the lock-down time, Book Air Ambulance has operated about 22 flights for medical evacuation that includes shifting of patients (non–Covid-19) to hospitals and also shifting coffins.