On the 10th of June, Gulf Med Aviation Services completed their 1,000th mission flown for the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) HEMS service. In the course the the 1,000 taskings 1,515 flight hours were logged and 644 patients transported. The 1,000th flight was a secondary mission involving the inter hospital transfer transport of a critically ill patient between Hospital José Joaquim Fernandes in Beja and Hospital de São José in Lisbon.
Malta-headquartered Gulf Med Aviation Services, began operations in Portugal on 1 July 2025, following an international public tender. Operations in Portugal are carried out from four permanent bases in Évora, Loulé, Macedo de Cavaleiros and Viseu – each with an H145 on 24/7 availability. A fifth H145 is also dedicated to reserve duty,
“One thousand missions are not merely a statistical milestone. They are one thousand moments when someone, somewhere in mainland Portugal, needed urgent help and we were there. This result reflects the dedication of the entire Gulf Med Aviation Services team and the joint effort with INEM’s professionals,” said Simon J Camilleri, CEO of Gulf Med Aviation Services and Group Executive Director of Medilink International, speaking about the landmark.
Hugo Chambel, Director of Gulf Med Aviation Services for the Iberian Peninsula, said: “Operations in Portugal are now at cruising speed and our pilots have responded to the demands of this service in exemplary fashion. Average aircraft activation times are around three minutes. That figure says a great deal about the commitment and preparation of our teams.”
Image: Gulf Med Aviation Services
