Netherlands-based aerial services provider Zeusch Aviation has begun dedicated European medevac operations in Spain using its King Air B200. The G-registered G-MEDZ, which has been configured in air ambulance format, is operating regular flights in partnership with IAS Medical, the UK-headquartered private air ambulance company which holds the AOC on which the aircraft operates.

Air ambulance services are being provided for the Spanish aviation organisation Eliance, which specialises in supporting aerial medical transportation, search and rescue and firefighting. Zeusch has repositioned the modified King Air B200 from its home-base in Lelystad to Malaga where a crew of two, working on a two-week rotation, is also based to support the mission.

The first medevac operation took off on 10 July, 2019 and since launching, the King Air B200 has already transported some 40 patients between Melilla and Malaga, Spain. Patient care is administered by a local professional medical team during the thirty minute flight.

Melilla is a Spanish enclave located on the north coast of Africa that shares a border with Morocco. It has a population of approximately 86,000 and is served by three small hospitals that provide limited health care. The Zeusch flights provide an invaluable service transporting patients to ground ambulances on mainland Spain, which then transfer patients to clinical centres of excellence.

In its medevac configuration the King Air B200 can carry up to two walking patients or a laying single patient in need of a stretcher. The cabin is equipped with a Lifeport PLUS system that provides a stretcher, as well as high-tech medical equipment including a vacuum system, compressed air, a three-outlet 1000 watts inverter (230VAC) and a 3500 litre oxygen system with remote filling port.

“Zeusch Aviation is proud to be part of this special operation, which is literally life saving in some cases. These flights not only show the need for specialised equipment and well-trained personnel, but also highlight the capabilities of our King Air B200. Most importantly it also demonstrates the importance of cooperation between entities to fulfil a specific mission,” says managing director Herman van Kranenburg. “This is enhancing our operational expertise and provides an excellent platform for expanding our medevac operations which we anticipate will widen out across Europe over the next year.”