UK charter company Hangar8 has announced that it would add a new Bombardier Challenger aircraft to its aero medical business in Africa
Hangar8 currently operates three air ambulances on the African continent that transport patients to South Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
“Growth in demand for aero medical services in Africa is being fuelled by economic growth, increased foreign direct investments, a rise in tourism and a growing expat community,” Hangar8 said in a statement.
For the six months ended 14 October 2013, revenue from Hangar8’s aero medical business in Africa increased by 300 per cent from a year ago, the company said. Hangar8 has bases in Johannesburg, Abuja, Lagos and Pointe Noire.
Hangar8 has estimated that there are over 15,000 aero medical evacuations from Africa each year, which cost more than US$483.8mn.
There are reportedly only 24 dedicated air ambulances in Africa, which account for about 2.8 per cent of the global fleet, according to company sources.
Hangar8 director of operations in Africa, John Cole said, “We are well positioned to use our existing infrastructure to take full advantage of the growth in demand for air ambulance services. We have one of the youngest and most advanced aero medical fleets in the continent, with one of the longest ranges.”
