LX-AMB;
Credit: Raymond Michaux
On Monday 26 August 2024, Luxembourg Air Rescue (LAR) reported that it recently put its second Challenger 605 ambulance jet into service.
LAR welcomed the aircraft bearing the registration LX-AMB in mid-August 2024 with a traditional water salute in front of the LAR hangar at Luxembourg Airport. The ambulance jet is a Challenger 605 from the Canadian manufacturer Bombardier. Prior to its arrival at Findel, the aircraft was configured in the USA in accordance with LAR's technical and medical standards.
The long-haul ambulance jet has a range of up to 7,400 kilometres. As reported by LAR, this means it can cover most routes without refuelling and reach destinations on the east coast of the American continent, in Central Asia or in the Middle East non-stop.
Its long range provides "optimum" conditions for the repatriation of patients. As stopovers are unnecessary in most cases, mission and route planning is considerably simplified, LAR added. In this way, the ambulance jet can set off faster on repatriation flights to bring LAR members and patients safely back home after medical emergencies abroad. In addition, the aircraft can be used for disaster relief missions or evacuation flights in the event of a crisis.
The Challenger 605 has a spacious cabin fitted with "state-of-the-art" medical equipment based on LAR's 36 years of experience. It can accommodate two full intensive care units and a third patient stretcher, if required. The latest LAR ambulance jet also offers space to transport accompanying relatives. Furthermore, the aircraft is configured for incubator flights in order to transport newborn babies safely over long distances.
LX-AMB is the second Challenger 605 to join the LAR fleet. The first aircraft of the same type was put into operation in 2021. LAR also has three Learjet 45 XR medium-haul aircraft. This new addition gives LAR an "optimal" fleet mix: alongside the three slightly smaller Learjet 45s, which are ideal for medium-haul routes of up to approximately 4,000 km, LX-AMB doubles the availability for long-haul repatriation flights.
Explaining the benefits of the fleet expansion, LAR President René Closter said: "The expansion of our long-haul fleet follows the prevailing trend towards increasingly distant travel destinations. By putting our second Challenger 605 into service, we are able to offer our LAR members and patients even more comfort and further expand and optimise our high standards of patient care on long flight routes".
Every year, LAR carries out hundreds of repatriations of members and patients with its ambulance aircraft fitted with intensive care equipment. The entry into service of the LX-AMB will enable LAR to repatriate more people who find themselves in a medical emergency abroad "as quickly as possible". LAR offers its members repatriation from abroad free of charge.
