Demand for air ambulances on the rise

The demand for air ambulances has grown steadily in Bangladesh in recent years due to rising affordability and entry of a number of operators.

Service providers have observed an increase in the use of helicopters to carry patients from far-flung districts such as Dinajpur, Cox's Bazar and Rangpur to Dhaka.

Before the latest spike, these areas used to see one or two flights per month. Now it has gone up to six or seven.

Helicopters began to be used to carry patients after chopper services were introduced in Bangladesh around the turn of the millennium, with demand slowly starting to increase from 2002 onwards.

Currently, six local companies provide domestic helicopter services, namely Meghna Aviation, Impress Aviation, Square Air, R&R Aviation, Bangla International Airlines Ltd (BIAL), and South Asian Airlines.

A customer has to pay Tk 1 lakh for a flight to the capital from nearby areas such as Faridpur. For flights to Dhaka from Dinajpur, Cox's Bazar or Rangpur, the fare can be as high as Tk 3.5 lakh.

Sometimes, the fare even surges to Tk 5 lakh as service providers can charge as they please, allege passengers.

Monjur Alam, manager of operations and customer service at Meghna Aviation, said there were two or three medical flights per month in 2018 but the number has now grown to 15 to 20.

An enterprise of the Meghna Group of Industries, the company initially purchased helicopters for its own commercial use.

It began renting them out in 2016 to recover costs. It has been offering air ambulance services since 2018 and has invested Tk 145 crore.

It has three helicopters specifically to provide air ambulance service.

Additionally, Meghna Aviation also has a modern ground ambulance equipped with all necessary life-saving equipment to provide medical services to patients, according to Alam.

The ambulance is staffed by two trained and licensed paramedics. The company also employs two medical professionals who have evacuated more than 500 patients over the past five years.

Impress Aviation, which was set up in 2013, provides services to the patients using a solitary helicopter, which is busy almost every day.

It currently operates 22 to 25 flights per month, 70 percent of which are for medical purposes, an official said.

It has invested around Tk 30 crore and employs 30 people, the official added.

Bangla International Airlines, a partnership between Union Group and PHP Family, offers charter helicopter services with two helicopters.

Shafiqul Alam, director for flight operations, said the company began operations in 2013 to meet its internal demand.

It later introduced the air ambulance service to offset costs.

Initially, it operated two to three flights for medical purposes per month, but now it has gone up to five or six, he said.

After the opening of the Padma Bridge in June 2022, the demand for air ambulances in districts adjacent to Dhaka has fallen as travel times to the capital have declined drastically.

"It is hurting the business," he said.

Another factor that may affect business are allegations from users that companies sometimes overcharge.

Mohammad Shariful Islam, a businessman in Thakurgaon sadar upazila, said people turn to air ambulances during emergencies.

But although they expect such services to be costly, service providers are charging fares without following any rules and, in some cases, preying on desperation, he claimed.

He recalled that when his wife became seriously ill due to heart and kidney diseases in January 2023, she was taken to a hospital in the northern district. Her condition worsened and the doctor advised them to admit her to a hospital in Dhaka immediately.

Frantically, Islam began searching for an air ambulance. He contacted a company, who quoted the fare at Tk 2.25 lakh, according to Islam.

He agreed and the helicopter was supposed to come the next morning to take the patient to Dhaka. The helicopter arrived, albeit later than expected, turning up at 2:00pm.

But at the last moment, company officials said the fare would not be less than Tk 5 lakh due to bad weather and other complications.

"I was forced to hire an air ambulance for Tk 5 lakh," Islam lamented.

So, the government should pay attention to fare-related issues, he added.

While data on the market size of the air ambulance business in Bangladesh is not readily available, industry insiders estimate that 10 companies operate around 36 helicopters.