Gujarat's government-operated air ambulance service has completed 98 missions since its launch in 2022, covering 48 patient transfers and 50 organ transportation flights, according to state officials. The round-the-clock service, run by the Civil Aviation Department and Gujarat State Aviation Infrastructure Company Limited (GUJSAIL), is available to citizens across India at subsidised rates.

Key Developments

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, who also holds the Civil Aviation portfolio, said the initiative has become an important component of the state's emergency medical response infrastructure. 'The air ambulance service... provides air medical transportation at subsidised rates and is available to citizens across India,' Sanghavi said. The service was launched in 2022 under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and operates a dedicated Beechcraft King Air B200 aircraft registered as VT-GUJ.

Dual Role: Patients and Organs

Of the 98 missions completed to date, 48 involved transferring critically ill or specialised-care patients between medical facilities — supporting cases requiring advanced surgery, critical care, or specialist hospital services. The remaining 50 missions transported human organs for transplantation, where time is a critical factor. Given the narrow transplant window for viable organs, aviation support enables hospitals and transplant teams to move them across locations within the required timeframe.

How the Service Operates

The air ambulance functions through a coordinated network involving 108 Emergency Services, GUJSAIL's Flight Operations Department, medical teams, pilots, airport authorities, ground transportation teams, and receiving hospitals. The process can be initiated when 108 Emergency Services identifies a patient needing air transport and refers the case to GUJSAIL, or when hospitals directly approach the service for urgent inter-facility transfers. The aircraft can be equipped with doctors, medical personnel, equipment, and support facilities based on the patient's condition, urgency, and destination.

Notably, the aircraft can operate from a range of airports and suitable airstrips — including those without conventional air traffic control services — subject to applicable operational, weather, and safety requirements. This flexibility is particularly useful when patients are located far from major airports, reducing road travel time before boarding.

Subsidised Charges and Accessibility

The government has set the subsidised fare at ₹50,000 for patients from Gujarat and ₹65,000 for patients from outside the state. When a hospital books the service directly, the applicable charge is ₹55,000. The service is intended to complement, rather than replace, the existing road ambulance network, offering an alternative when distance, urgency, or geography makes air transport the more viable option.

What's Next

With 98 missions logged over roughly three years, the service's usage trajectory will be closely watched as Gujarat looks to strengthen its emergency medical infrastructure. Wider awareness among hospitals and emergency services across India could drive further utilisation of the subsidised platform.