Inside the UAE ‘flying ICU’ transporting critically ill patients worldwide

A UAE-based aeromedical service has completed nearly 1,000 flying hours across 20 countries and five continents in its first five months of operation, transporting critically ill patients who require specialised care during long-distance journeys.

ICATT RESPONSE PLUS, the aeromedical arm of Response Plus Holding, operates from Abu Dhabi and carries out international medical evacuations for patients who need urgent or complex transfers between hospitals.

The service uses a specially equipped Challenger 605 aircraft that operates as a flying intensive care unit (ICU), allowing medical teams to continuously monitor and treat patients while in the air.

The aircraft can fly non-stop for up to 7,400km.

Newborn babies among patients

Among the service’s most complex cases was the initiation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) on a three-day-old baby.

The organisation said it has conducted more than 390 ECMO initiations and transfers.

It has also transported a one-and-a-half-month-old baby who required nitric oxide and oscillatory ventilation support.

Such transfers require specialised medical teams and equipment to ensure patients continue receiving intensive care while travelling between countries.

Dr Rohil Raghavan, Chairman of ICATT RESPONSE PLUS, said transporting critically ill patients internationally involves much more than flying them from one location to another.

“Moving critically ill patients across borders requires far more than just transportation – it demands hospital-level care, clinical expertise, and seamless coordination throughout the journey,” he said.

From one hospital bed to another

The company follows a “bed-to-bed” model, coordinating a patient’s transfer from the hospital where they are receiving treatment, through ground transportation and the flight, until they reach the receiving hospital.

This can be particularly important for patients who need specialised treatment that is not available where they are located or who must remain under continuous medical supervision while travelling.

ICATT RESPONSE PLUS also provides medical evacuation services for patients travelling from GCC countries to destinations around the world.

Each mission is planned according to the patient’s medical needs, destination, aircraft requirements and relevant regulations.

The company said its operations are part of wider efforts to strengthen the UAE’s emergency medical response capabilities and provide critical care to patients beyond the country’s borders.