Norway extends agreement on evacuation of injured Ukrainian soldiers with SAS hospital flight

The Norwegian government announced on 12 July that the agreement to evacuate the injured and critically ill from the war in Ukraine is being extended. SAS has a long-standing agreement with the Scandinavian authorities to make a hospital plane available in various crisis situations and the mission from the Norwegian authorities related to the evacuation of Ukrainian patients has been ongoing since 2022. Over 1,200 patients have so far been transported using these special flights and the agreement is now being extended until February 2024.

The operation is part of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, and through an agreement with the Norwegian Armed Forces and the Directorate of Health, SAS is assisting with its specially converted hospital aircraft. The specially rebuilt aircraft has been in regular traffic for the past year, with weekly flights from a dedicated evacuation centre in Poland and for treatment in hospitals around Europe.

“The assignment has a special place in our hearts. It helps change people’s lives, and it so clearly shows the value of aviation. This is really travel that counts. Operationally, it has been a pleasure to work side by side with the dedicated and professional teams at the Norwegian Armed Forces and the Directorate of Health. We look forward to continuing this work,” says CEO of SAS, Anko van der Werff.

The plane is basically an ordinary passenger plane of the type Boeing 737-700, which is converted within 24 hours to transport patients in hospital beds and on stretchers.

“We see it as an important social mission to assist in connection with the war in Ukraine. The importance of being able to contribute with such a specially converted aircraft has been enormous in connection with evacuation from Ukraine, but also in previous disasters, as we can have the aircraft ready for such missions within hours. Examples are the Tsunami in Thailand and the terrorist attack in In Amenas in Algeria,” adds Kjetil Håbjørg, Executive Vice President and SAS Norway CEO.

On board the flights there is a crew that is particularly dedicated to the task, and where those who work in the cabin have a background in health work and possess expertise in handling patients with trauma. In addition, there are doctors and other health personnel on the flights, depending on what is deemed necessary in the individual mission. Fully equipped, surgery can also be carried out on board.

July 13, 2023, 08:00