Home · What to do · A bedridden patient on a plane or train: how it works

A bedridden patient on a plane or train: how it works

Beyond 2,000 kilometres the car gives way to the aircraft — but air transport of a bedridden passenger requires clearance from the airline several days in advance, a medical form and often stretchers installed in the cabin. Our part is to bring the patient to the aircraft, escort them in flight and meet them at the other end.

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What to do right now

Check the airline’s rules
Aeroflot, S7 and others each have their own MEDIF medical form and deadlines, usually 48–72 hours. Cabin stretchers occupy six to nine seats and are charged separately.
Obtain the medical form
The treating doctor completes it: diagnosis, fitness to fly, oxygen requirement. In-flight oxygen is supplied only by the airline on request.
Arrange medical escort
Our doctor or paramedic travels beside the patient with a medical kit. The airline must be told about the escort in advance.
Book delivery to the aircraft
Our crew brings the patient to the airport, completes formalities at the airport medical post and boards via an ambulift.
Arrange the meeting
At the destination a crew — ours or a partner’s — meets the patient and takes them to hospital or home.

Call an ambulance if

Distances over 2,000 km — Siberia, the Far East, the south
A stable patient who cannot sit through a ten-hour drive
Return after an injury or stroke on holiday
Trains suit stable patients for 500–1,500 km: a compartment, or a medical carriage by arrangement with the railway

What not to do

Do not buy tickets before the airline has cleared the patient
Do not fly in the first days after a heart attack, stroke or chest or abdominal surgery without a doctor’s clearance
Do not rely on the patient’s own oxygen concentrator — only certified devices are allowed on board
Do not leave the medical form at home

What the crew does

Assessment of fitness for travel, help with the medical form
Delivery to the airport or station, escort through the medical post, ambulift
Escort in flight or on the train with a kit and monitoring
Meeting on arrival and delivery to hospital or home

This page is for information and does not replace a medical examination. If the condition worsens, call the crew: +7 (985) 887-82-52.

This page in Russian: Russian version.

Questions

How much does in-flight escort cost?

Delivery to the aircraft is charged at the Moscow tariff; the escort’s work in flight is agreed by contract and depends on duration and the return ticket. Cabin stretchers and oxygen are paid to the airline.

Can a patient fly after a stroke?

Usually not earlier than two to three weeks, in a stable condition and with a neurologist’s clearance. Earlier — only by road with a crew.

Is the train easier?

For a stable patient, yes: no pressure changes and easier stretcher handling. You need a whole compartment, plus help at boarding and arrival — which our crews provide at both ends.