The joint air transport units of the EU and NATO will receive eight patient transport units (PTU), with which multi-role tanker transport aircraft (MRTT) will be equipped. This means that the A300 MRTT machines can also be used for medical evacuation (MedEvac) of injured people.
With the support of the European arms agency OCCAR, NATO is currently procuring nine A330 MRTT, which will be operated by the multinational air transport units in Eindhoven and Cologne. The first two machines are already in trial operation in Eindhoven. The third machine - delivered on November 19th - will be the first to be stationed in Cologne and equipped for MedEvac.
Lufthansa Technik AG has handed over eight patient transport units for intensive care patients and 16 oxygen supply systems for moderately to slightly injured patients to Airbus Defense and Space. Shortly after the handover, training for doctors and medical staff in the new units began. These are scheduled to be completed at the end of November 2020. The first equipment of an A330 MRTT of the air transport units is scheduled to take place in December 2020. This creates one of the largest and most powerful Medevac aircraft.
The German Air Force's national Airbus A310 MRTT fleet has been equipped with the previous model of patient transport units for almost 20 years and is now being gradually replaced.
The latest generation patient transport unit complies with NATO standards and is approved as a civilian medical product. With the units now delivered, the model is in use on four different military and civil aircraft types. Using seat rail adapters, a patient transport unit can be installed on almost any aircraft in minutes, allowing the same unit to be used on a fleet of different types of aircraft. A unit consists of several modules that can be assembled very quickly without tools and are easy to handle by two people due to their size and weight.
The core of the new patient transport units is a new oxygen system, which is suitable for the latest ventilators. These require up to three times the amount of oxygen of conventional devices. Technically, the current safety requirements from aviation are taken into account. The unit is developed and manufactured by Lufthansa Technik in cooperation with the specialists from Aerolite.
Gerhard Heiming
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