A new state-of-the-art Beechcraft King Air 360C aircraft, which will be used for air ambulance services, is now in the country’s fleet.

The handover ceremony – a donation from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) to the Greek State – took place on Monday afternoon at the Elefsina Air Base, 112th Battle Wing, with the leadership of the Health Ministry present. The new aircraft will be able to carry two critically ill patients, as well as newborns, as it has an incubator and is expected to enable simultaneous evacuations.

Taking the floor, Health Minister Adonis Georgiades thanked the Stavros Niarchos Foundation for the donation, noting that the administration of the Foundation gave the “green light” for the purchase of the aircraft, just nine days after the request was submitted by the Health Ministry. “It is of a newer type than the previous two and has, in addition to an incubator, a toilet. A toilet is not a luxury. It is what allows this aircraft to
to fly beyond the country’s borders and transport patients to neighbouring countries. It literally unties our hands, saves lives, and drastically upgrades the level of health services that the Ministry of Health, the Greek democracy and the EKAB can provide to our fellow citizens,” Georgiades said.

The aircraft, it was noted, in its basic characteristics, is the same as the two previous ones. The only difference is the toilet as well as the fact that one stretcher can be removed so that on international trips it can travel longer distances without refueling. One of its main responsibilities will also be to transport patients for transplantation in Greece and abroad.