CharterDesk coordinates medical flight from France to Beirut

CharterDesk has coordinated an air ambulance flight carrying a post-surgery patient from Nîmes, France, to Beirut, Lebanon, bringing together medical clearance, flight permits and ground arrangements for the transfer.

The operation comes after CharterDesk officially launched its global operations at Air Cargo China in June 2026. The company is based in Hungary and provides air cargo, passenger, private jet charter and ACMI leasing services worldwide. It said its focus is on providing tailored solutions for time-critical and complex charter requirements.

In July, CharterDesk completed its first two cargo charter operations. The first involved an Airbus A321 freighter carrying 11 tonnes of automotive parts from Cairo to Istanbul, while the second used an Airbus A330 freighter to move 59 tonnes of temperature-sensitive perishables from Istanbul to Ouagadougou.

For the medical flight, a Learjet 45 configured as an ambulance jet carried the patient, one family member, a doctor, a nurse and the aircraft’s cabin crew. The aircraft was fitted with a stretcher and medical equipment. The equipment required for the flight was determined jointly by the hospital doctor and the doctor travelling on board based on the patient’s condition.

Gökhan Kaya, a member of the CharterDesk team, handled the flight, while colleagues managed the operation remotely. The company received the request about a week before departure, when the patient was due to undergo surgery. The team monitored the arrangements alongside the patient’s post-operative assessment and the doctors’ decision on whether the patient could travel.

“The patient’s condition set the timetable,” said Emir Özdabak, Managing Director of CharterDesk. “We had to wait for the hospital report and the doctor’s approval before we could confirm that the patient was fit to fly. At the same time, we prepared the aircraft and the flight arrangements so the transfer could proceed once that approval came through.”

The flight was scheduled for 48 hours after the medical certificate confirming fitness to fly was issued. The hospital doctor and the doctor on board remained in direct contact before departure. This helped the team plan the patient’s transfer from hospital to ambulance, onto the aircraft and into hospital care after arrival.

“The main challenge was making sure the patient was fit to fly after surgery,” Özdabak said. “The hospital doctor and the doctor on board were in direct contact before the flight. Their assessment guided the medical arrangements and the final decision on when the journey could take place.”

CharterDesk also arranged the permits required for the operation in France and Lebanon. Its partner in France helped secure permission for the flight at Nîmes Airport and coordinated access that allowed the ambulance to reach the aircraft directly. This reduced the distance the patient needed to be moved between vehicles before departure.

“Permits and ground access were essential parts of the plan,” Özdabak said. “Our partner in France helped us obtain the necessary permission at Nîmes and ensured the ambulance could drive up to the aircraft. For a patient transfer, those arrangements have to work alongside the flight plan and the medical team’s instructions.”

The ambulance brought the patient to Nîmes Airport about an hour before the aircraft’s 11.00 local departure. The Learjet arrived in Beirut at 17.30 local time, with the flight taking approximately five hours. The patient was taken directly to hospital after landing, and the transfer was completed during the day.

The operation brought together aircraft availability, medical clearance, flight planning, permits and ambulance movements within the week between the initial request and departure. Each stage depended on confirmation of the patient’s condition after surgery.

“This was planned step by step over the course of a week,” Özdabak said. “We had to bring together a suitable aircraft, the flight approvals and the doctors’ clearance, while allowing for the patient’s recovery. Once the medical certificate was issued, the team was able to schedule the flight for 48 hours later.”