Luxembourg air ambulance buys new rescue aircraft

On Thursday, December 8, Luxembourg Air Rescue (LAR) unveiled its latest acquisition, the Bombardier Challenger 605 aircraft.

This is the first long-range LAR aircraft for the country’s air rescue force. Its maximum flight distance without refueling is 7400 kilometers. With refueling, Challenger can evacuate patients from almost anywhere in the world.

Two patients are placed on board. In the future, a compartment for contagious patients and beds for staff are planned.

LAR bought a used aircraft, which saved them a lot of money. The new Challenger costs 35 million euros. This one costs 15 million. Another million went to the medical equipment of the salon.

However, 16 million is a large amount. The rescuers had to take out a loan: its conditions are more favorable than those for renting a similar aircraft.

LAR did not buy the plane as a thrift: the air force has been delivering patients home from different parts of the world for a long time. In 2019, before the start of the pandemic, service employees moved more than 900 people. This year, the trend is again intensifying: the number of those rescued goes into hundreds.