The air ambulance division of German special mission operator FAI rent-a-jet has once again been nominated as one of three finalists in the 2020 International Travel & Health Insurance Journal's (ITIJ) Air Ambulance Company of the Year category. This is the 18th annual ITIJ Awards and marks the fourth nomination for FAI. This year's winners will be revealed virtually at the ITIJ awards ceremony on 5 November.

Earlier this year, FAI rent-a-jet underwent the busiest period in its 30-year history owing to the coronavirus pandemic. It completed nearly 800 hours of flying on mostly medevac missions in the month of April alone. The air ambulance division operated at maximum capacity and worked hard to fulfil all the requests coming in 24/7 for repatriation and medevac flights. Demand was also strong for FAI's EpiShuttle isolation pod patient transfer system, which enables self-contained oxygen and air ventilation directly to the patient.

Volker Lemke, who heads up the air ambulance division, says: “We have experienced a truly exceptional year so I am particularly pleased that our work has been recognised. I am immensely proud of the way FAI Air Ambulance and our talented team of professionals responded to the immense challenges of the pandemic. Regardless of the outcome of the nomination, I would like to congratulate them all for working round the clock to meet critical demands during the crisis and putting in a tremendous effort for the benefit of the patients who fly with us and our global client base that supports us.”

FAI is one of the world’s largest air ambulance jet operators by revenue, logging far above 10,000 hours per year flying air ambulance missions. The 10-strong fleet, comprising Bombardier Global Express, Challenger 604 and Learjet 60 types, is based at FAI's headquarters at Albrecht Dürer International airport in Nuremberg. It is supported by more than 200 full-time staff and 50 part-time physicians and paramedics. The company specialises in air support in hostile areas for the world's largest NGO. It currently averages four intercontinental medical evacuations a day for its global client base.