René Closter presenting the latest addition to the LAR fleet, a Bombardier Challenger long-range air ambulance;
On Thursday 8 December 2022, Luxembourg Air Rescue (LAR) unveiled the newest aquisition to its fleet, a Bombardier Challenger 605 fixed-wing aircraft that bears the registration LX-RHC.
The most recent addition is a long-range ambulance jet; it is LAR's first long-range aircraft and marks the beginning of a new era for Luxembourg Air Rescue's ambulance missions. According to a press statement "This new flagship of LAR offers many advantages to both patients and intervention teams".
René Closter, President of Luxembourg Air Rescue, presented details of the new Bombardier Challenger 605 aircraft, also inside the cabin and the special medical equipment configured according to LAR's requirements and standards.
Talking with Chronicle.lu, he explained the reasons behind the acquisition of the new aircraft which now brings LAR’s fleet up to a total of eight helicopters and four fixed-wing aircraft (3 Lear Jets, 1 Bombardier Challenger). He stated that, since its inception, LAR is “now repatriating more and more patients, as our members are travelling further and further”. He added “We can now double the range; it has a stand-up cabin and the new aircraft can transport two patients at a time”.
Regarding the aircraft’s range, he said that it can travel 7,400 km without refuelling. “We can travel with two crews” he added, explaining that this can mean that lay-overs can be avoided. According to the press statement, this enables it to reach non-stop destinations in sub-Saharan Africa, in Central Asia as far as the border of Mongolia, in the Middle East and in Eastern Canada. Nearly all other destinations can be reached by the new LAR flagship with just a single refuelling stop.
The Challenger was acquired last year and entered into service in 2021 Q3, flying its first mission in September 2021; the interior has just been remodelled according to LAR’s needs and was unveiled to the press.
On the cost side, he revealed that such an aircraft would cost €35m new; LAR paid €15m, excluding the additional €1m on medical equipment to fit out the aircraft. He confirmed that LAR does not lease any aircraft, rather they finance such acquisitions through bank loans.
The cabin can be configured to meet the needs of LAR and optimally adapted to the medical needs of patients; future plans include the inclusion of a self-contained compartment so that patients with infectious diseases can be trasported safely courtesy of an Infectious Disease Module (IDM), with crew and medical staff still able to move about the cabin in comfort and safety. Also, LAR are planning to fit the rear of the cabin with a couple of flat beds (bunks) for medical and cabin staff to be able to use.
With its fleet of state-of-the-art ambulance aircraft, LAR carries out numerous repatriations every year. In 2019, before the start of the COVID pandemic, it transported no fewer than 900 patients. This year, the trend is again increasing: in 2022, LAR has enabled many hundreds of people to travel home safely on board its flying intensive care units. LAR pilots also fly the Police helicopters in the Grand Duchy.
