Air Ambulance South Africa
Ralmed arranges air ambulance flights within South Africa and across its borders, for local patients and for the many who fly in from elsewhere in Africa.
At a glance
- Domestic and cross-border flights
- Doctors, nurses and paramedics trained in aeromedical care
- Intensive-care equipment on board
- Flights coordinated 24 hours a day
- Ground legs by Ralmed road crews
The service
What is an air ambulance, and when is one used?
An air ambulance is an aircraft fitted with intensive-care equipment and staffed by a medical crew, used to move a patient who needs clinical care during the journey.
Most of the flights Ralmed arranges bring patients into South Africa from elsewhere in Africa for specialist treatment. Others move patients between provinces, or bring them home once their hospital care is complete. Emergency medical services in South Africa, flights included, are regulated under the National Health Act.
A helicopter suits shorter distances and landing sites without a runway. A fixed-wing aircraft covers the longer and cross-border routes. Either way, the patient is never left without a clinician beside them.
Who it is for
Who needs a medical flight?
An air ambulance makes sense when a patient needs care on the way and the distance is too great for a road ambulance.
Patients travelling for treatment
Someone in another African country who needs care that only a South African hospital offers, flown in with a crew beside them.
Transfers between provinces
A patient moving between hospitals in different provinces, where a long road journey would not suit their clinical needs.
Medical repatriation
A South African injured or taken ill abroad, brought home to a hospital near family once the doctors agree they can fly.
Remote sites
A worker at a remote mine or project site who needs a hospital that is out of reach by road.
What is included
What does an air ambulance flight include?
Every flight is planned around one patient. The table shows what a typical Ralmed transfer covers, and your coordinator confirms the detail for each case.
| Part of the transfer | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Medical assessment | Our medical team reviews the referring doctor's report before the flight is confirmed, so the crew and equipment match the patient. |
| Aircraft | A helicopter or a fixed-wing aircraft, chosen for the distance, the landing sites and the patient's needs. |
| Medical crew | Doctors, nurses and paramedics with training in aeromedical care, in the mix the case calls for. |
| Equipment on board | Intensive-care equipment, including ventilators, cardiac monitors and emergency medication. |
| Ground transfers | Ralmed road ambulances for the ground legs, with transport at the other end arranged before take-off. |
| Coordination | One coordinator who deals with the referring hospital, the receiving hospital and the family until the handover. |
| After the flight | Our team stays on hand for questions once the patient has been admitted. |
How it works
How does a medical flight work, step by step?
01
Call our coordinators
Call 0861 725 633 at any hour. Tell us where the patient is, where they need to go and who their doctor is.
02
Medical assessment
Our team reads the medical report and speaks to the treating doctor, then decides on the aircraft, the crew and the equipment.
03
Plan and quote
We confirm the route, the receiving hospital, the ground transfers and the cost, and help with your insurer's authorisation.
04
Flight and handover
The crew treats the patient on board and hands over to the receiving team, with an ambulance waiting where one is needed.
Planning a medical flight? Speak to a coordinator on 0861 725 633.
Why choose Ralmed for a medical flight?
One coordinator throughout. The same person deals with both hospitals, the aircraft and the family, so nothing is lost between teams.
A crew matched to the patient. Doctors, nurses and paramedics with aeromedical training, chosen for the case rather than from a fixed roster.
Our own road crews. Ralmed ambulances collect and deliver patients at the road end, so the ground legs stay in the same hands.
An emergency service since 2013. Ambulance, clinical and training teams work from one Sandton base, with aircraft operated under South African Civil Aviation Authority rules.
Cost
How much does an air ambulance cost in South Africa?
There is no fixed price for an air ambulance flight, because each one is planned for a single patient. Ralmed sends a written quote once the medical assessment is done.
These are the things that decide the cost:
- The distance and the route, including any border crossings
- The type of aircraft, helicopter or fixed-wing
- The medical crew the patient needs, from paramedic to doctor
- Equipment and medication used during the flight
- Road ambulance transfers at either end
- Waiting time, overnight stops and positioning the aircraft
Medical schemes and travel insurers often pay for a medically necessary flight when they approve it in advance. Ask your insurer about authorisation, and we will send them the medical and flight details they need.
Your options
How does an air ambulance compare with other ways to travel?
An air ambulance is not always the right choice. For a stable patient or a shorter distance, another option may suit better and cost less.
| Option | Suits | Care during the journey | Things to weigh up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air ambulance | Patients who need intensive care, long distances and cross-border transfers | A dedicated medical crew and intensive-care equipment | The highest cost, and it needs planning and suitable landing sites |
| Scheduled flight with a medical escort | Stable patients who can sit upright for the flight | A nurse or doctor travels beside the patient, with limited equipment | Needs the airline's approval and follows its routes and times |
| Road ambulance | Shorter distances, including transfers by road | A paramedic crew, with a doctor on board where the case calls for it | A long drive over long distances, but no airport legs |
Get started
How do you arrange an air ambulance with Ralmed?
Call us about any air ambulance flight that needs to happen soon. For a planned transfer, you can also send the details in writing and we will come back to you with a plan and a quote.
Head office
89 Impala Road, Kelvin View, Sandton
Where our coordinators and crews are based.
Request an air ambulance quote
Send us the basics and a coordinator will call you back. For anything that cannot wait, call 0861 725 633.
Where do our flights go?
Flights run across South Africa and to and from other countries, with most international patients flying in from elsewhere in Africa. On the ground, our own road crews handle the transfers at the South African end.
See our ambulance services and our Johannesburg ambulance page for road transfers before and after a flight.
Questions
Questions about air ambulance flights in South Africa
How do I book an air ambulance in South Africa?
Call 0861 725 633 to book an air ambulance in South Africa; the line is answered 24 hours a day. Have the patient's location, the destination hospital and the treating doctor's details ready. Our medical team then reviews the case and confirms the aircraft, the crew and the cost before anything is booked.
How much does an air ambulance flight cost?
The cost depends on the distance, the aircraft, the medical crew and the ground transfers at each end, so every flight is quoted separately. Ralmed sends a written quote after the medical assessment. If a medical scheme or travel insurer is paying, we can send them the details they need to approve the flight.
Will medical aid pay for an air ambulance?
Many medical schemes and travel insurers pay for a medically necessary flight, but most need to approve it first. Check your cover and contact your scheme as soon as a flight is being discussed. We will provide the medical report and the flight plan they ask for, so the approval is not held up.
Can a family member fly with the patient?
Often, yes, but it depends on the aircraft and the space the crew needs to work. Tell us when you call, and we will confirm whether a companion can travel on board or should follow on a scheduled flight. A companion needs a valid passport for any cross-border flight.
What documents does a cross-border flight need?
The patient needs a valid passport, and a visa where the destination requires one. The flight also needs a recent medical report from the treating doctor and written acceptance from the receiving hospital. If an insurer is paying, their approval is needed too. Our coordinator tells you exactly what applies to your route.
Can an air ambulance fly at night?
Yes. Fixed-wing aircraft fly at night, and so can helicopters where the landing sites are lit and approved for it. A night flight is planned in the same way as a day flight, around the patient's needs and the airports or helipads at each end of the journey.
What is the difference between a helicopter and a plane?
A helicopter can land close to a hospital and suits shorter distances. A fixed-wing aircraft needs a runway but flies further, which makes it the usual choice for long-distance and cross-border transfers. We choose the aircraft for each flight based on the distance, the landing sites and what the patient needs.
When is an air ambulance the wrong choice?
A flight may not be needed if the patient is stable enough to travel on a scheduled flight with a medical escort, or if the distance is short enough for a road ambulance. Our medical team will tell you honestly when a simpler option suits the patient better and costs less.
Who looks after the patient before and after the flight?
Our crew takes over from the hospital or ground team before take-off and stays with the patient until the receiving team takes over. Where our own road ambulances are on hand, they carry the patient between the airport and the hospital. Elsewhere, we arrange the ground transfer with the receiving hospital before the flight leaves.
What medical equipment is on board?
The aircraft carry intensive-care equipment, including ventilators, cardiac monitors and emergency medication, so the crew can keep treating the patient in the air. The exact equipment is set for each patient after the medical assessment, based on what the treating doctor reports and what the journey involves.
Related services
Other Ralmed services that go with a flight
Many flights end at a South African hospital, so families often use our service for international patients to plan the stay. For transfers on the ground, see our road ambulance crews, and save our ambulance number for anything that cannot wait.
Arrange an air ambulance in South Africa
Our coordinators answer 24 hours a day and will talk you through the options before anything is booked. Have the patient's details and the treating doctor's report to hand, then call 0861 725 633. We will plan the right air ambulance flight in South Africa and beyond.