Germany-based automobile association Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (ADAC) has placed an order for a Bombardier Challenger 650 aircraft through its daughter company Aero-Dienst. The aircraft will be configured as a dedicated air ambulance for Aero-Dienst, ADAC's main aircraft operator, and is scheduled for delivery in 2026.

"Aero-Dienst, with its long-term expertise in ambulance service for parent company ADAC, is very much looking forward to bring the Challenger 650 into service under our AOC," says managing director Dr Oliver Kosing. "The Challenger 650 is the best aircraft available for our kind of ambulance operation as the performance fits perfectly to our flight profiles.

"Another important factor is the availability of intensive care medical equipment at the highest level for transportation of up to four patients. Furthermore, the dimensions of the fuselage, with its large diameter and standing height, enable our med crew to provide the best possible care for patients during the flight."

"ADAC's ambulance service, in cooperation with Aero-Dienst in Nuremberg, has been setting global standards in the field of patient repatriation for over 50 years. By investing in a new aircraft, we are reaffirming our commitment to providing our ADAC members and policyholders with first-class services," says Sascha Petzold, board of management ADAC Versicherung. "Thanks to the Challenger 650's long range, we are able to serve our members worldwide with our own ADAC fleet. The acquisition of this new aircraft is another significant step in our strategy to modernise our fleet and continue to provide the highest level of service to our ADAC members and policyholders."

The Challenger 650's outstanding short-field performance and proven reliability make it the ideal choice to be equipped for patient care. It offers the widest-in-class passenger door and has cabin space for up to four stretchers. Offering an exceptionally smooth ride, dispatch reliability of over 99.9 per cent and a range of 4,000nm (7,408km), it not only provides passengers receiving medical care with extra comfort, but its adaptability lends itself to optimal air ambulance configuration.

"Our Challenger aircraft are distinguished by their class-leading reliability, flexibility and versatility, characteristics that are necessary to respond quickly to emergencies and provide life-saving medical assistance," says Steve Patrick, vice president, Bombardier Defense. "Bombardier has a long history of delivering medevac aircraft, so we are extremely honoured that our Challenger 650 aircraft can contribute to the important work ADAC is doing to provide aid to its customers."

Bombardier Defense has dedicated in-house engineering and support teams with the ability to incorporate customer-requested modifications and provide comprehensive integration solutions with full certification capabilities across a full spectrum of civilian, military and hybrid operations.