Buying a Private Jet for Air Ambulance

Medevac needs an aircraft with a medical module: a stretcher, oxygen, life-support equipment and a place for a doctor. Turboprops (PC-12, King Air) are common for short legs and midsize/large jets for long evacuations. Key are a large cargo door for loading the stretcher and the range to reach a specialist clinic nonstop. Send us a request — we'll prepare options, calculate running costs and analyse the best fit for your task.

Medical flights are arranged on a priority basis — from a few hours once the medical team and permits are ready. The aircraft is fitted with a medical module and doctors, and corridors and clinic reception are coordinated. International evacuation needs 24–72 hours for overflight permits. We work with certified medevac operators. Send us a request — we'll prepare options, calculate running costs and analyse the best fit for your task.

The price comes from the aircraft class, range, medical fit-out and the team. A turboprop for a short evacuation is from $2,000/hour, a midsize jet for a long one from $4,500, a large jet for intercontinental from $8,000. The exact estimate depends on the patient's condition and the equipment required; we prepare it individually. Send us a request — we'll prepare options, calculate running costs and analyse the best fit for your task.

Yes: medevac uses turboprops (Pilatus PC-12, King Air 360) and midsize jets with a large cargo door and the ability to fit a medical module. The PC-12 is the air-ambulance benchmark: pre-owned from $4.5M, running ~$645K/year. We help with aircraft selection, module certification and an operator. Send us a request — we'll prepare options, calculate running costs and analyse the best fit for your task.

The standard path takes 6–10 weeks. Step 1: a letter of intent (LOI) with price and terms — 3–5 days. Step 2: a 5–10% deposit into escrow and signing of the purchase agreement. Step 3: a pre-purchase inspection — 1–3 weeks. Step 4: rectification of findings and price adjustment. Step 5: closing — simultaneous transfer of funds, title and risk, technical acceptance and ferry of the aircraft.

A pre-purchase inspection (PPI) is an independent check at a certified centre: airframe, engines, corrosion, records and compliance with airworthiness directives. It takes from 3 days on a turboprop to 2–3 weeks on a heavy jet and costs $15–100K — paid by the buyer. By market practice the seller pays to rectify airworthiness-affecting defects. A seller refusing a PPI is grounds to walk away.

The import budget depends on jurisdiction. In the EU the main items are any customs duty (most business-jet codes carry reduced or zero rates) and import VAT, which varies by country of entry (for example 19–22% in much of Europe). Registration in Aruba, San Marino or the Isle of Man under operation outside the EU allows a temporary-admission regime. We produce an exact calculation before the LOI is signed — an error here costs millions.

After purchase the aircraft must be entered into service: choose a registry (Aruba, San Marino, Isle of Man or a national one), sign a management and maintenance contract with an operator, enrol the engines on a programme (ESP/JSSI), arrange insurance, hangar and crew, and plan the first maintenance. We support all of these steps. Send us a request — we'll prepare options, calculate running costs and analyse the best fit for your task.

Before a deal we check: title and absence of liens or leases (a registry title search), the full maintenance history and airworthiness-directive records, the status of heavy maintenance checks and engine time remaining, any incident involvement, and compliance with export rules. We organise this review and an independent pre-purchase inspection before any funds move. Send us a request — we'll prepare options, calculate running costs and analyse the best fit for your task.

Running costs depend on utilisation and aircraft class. Budget for fixed and variable items:

- Crew and support staff;
- Fuel and navigation charges;
- Maintenance and insurance;
- Hangar storage and airport fees;
- Management company fee.

A light jet flying 200 hours a year typically costs from USD 700,000 annually; a long-range aircraft on the same utilisation runs into several million. We prepare a cost-of-ownership calculation for the specific aircraft before you commit, so the budget holds no surprises.