FutureFlight
How Inflight Medical Emergencies Pose a Safety Management Challenge for eVTOL Aircraft Operators
Inflight medical care specialists like MedAire are trying to determine how best to respond to emergency situations in new types of aircraft, including eVTOL air taxis.
MedAire has introduced a Digital Assessment Kit to help doctors assess medical emergencies during flights.
MedAire has introduced a Digital Assessment Kit to help doctors assess medical emergencies during flights. (Image: MedAire)

The eVTOL air taxi flight was halfway between Newport Beach and Los Angeles International Airport when one of its passengers started feeling seriously unwell. The single pilot at the controls thought to herself, “Now what do I do?” That was quickly followed by another thought: “Gee, how would this play out when these things are operating autonomously?”

This is just the sort of alarming scenario being contemplated by experts in inflight medical care as they seek to determine how the new advanced air mobility (AAM) industry will take care of its passengers. The different approach being taken by prospective operators of these new aircraft is prompting a fresh look at what a realistic and effective response would look like in the context of the relatively short flights envisaged by most use cases.