Israel Air & Ambulance · Air ambulance · עברית
How a patient is flown safely from the USA to Israel, or from Israel back to the USA, and how to choose the right option.
When a family member is hospitalized far from home, the distance between the USA and Israel can feel enormous. A medical flight on this route is a long-haul operation: it combines a medical decision, careful aviation planning and ground transport on two continents. This guide explains the options, how the process works from bed to bed, what documents you need and what drives the cost.
Israel Air & Ambulance coordinates medical flights, including airborne ICU care. The company is led by David Merizan, with over 20 years of personal experience in medical flights. We work on both directions of this route: bringing patients from the USA to Israel, and flying patients from Israel to the USA.
The patient flies on a scheduled passenger flight, accompanied throughout by a doctor, paramedic or nurse matched to the case. With advance coordination and approval from the airline's medical department, complex cases can fly this way too. This is usually the simplest and most cost-effective option. See medical escort on commercial flights.
When the patient needs to lie down for the whole journey, some airlines can install a stretcher on a passenger aircraft, usually behind a privacy curtain, with a medical escort at the bedside. With advance coordination, ventilated patients can also fly this way, with the right crew and equipment. This requires advance approval from the airline's medical department, and availability depends on the carrier and aircraft. See airline stretcher on a commercial flight.
A dedicated medical aircraft with an intensive care crew and equipment, flying only for the patient. It is the right choice when the transfer is urgent and no suitable commercial flight is available in time, when the airline does not approve the case, or when the family prefers a private aircraft. This is the most expensive option. See air ambulance.
| Commercial escort | Airline stretcher | Air ambulance | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patient condition | Seated, crew and equipment matched to the case | Lying down, including ventilated patients with advance coordination | Any condition, including ICU care |
| In-flight setting | Passenger seat | Stretcher on passenger flight | Dedicated medical aircraft |
| Airline approval needed | Yes | Yes, in advance | No |
| Relative cost | Lowest | Medium | Highest |
This is one of the longest routes we coordinate. A nonstop passenger flight between the US East Coast and Tel Aviv is already a long day in the air, and flights from the West Coast or the Midwest are longer still or involve a connection. For a patient, that means many hours of sitting or lying, changes in cabin pressure and limited access to care. These factors shape the medical plan:
We coordinate medical flights between Israel and cities across the USA, including New York, New Jersey, Florida, California, Chicago, Texas and other locations, to and from Ben Gurion Airport (TLV). We also coordinate long-haul medical transfers to the USA from Europe, for example Germany to New York or Bucharest to the USA, and from Europe to Israel. If your route is not listed, contact us: the planning principles are the same.
For commercial flights, the airline usually requires a medical clearance form (MEDIF) completed by the treating physician. We explain exactly what is needed and help collect it.
There is no single price for a medical flight between the USA and Israel. The main cost factors are the type of flight, the origin city, the number and type of medical crew, equipment such as oxygen or a ventilator, the number of seats needed for an airline stretcher, crew travel and accommodation, ground ambulances at both ends and how urgent the transfer is. An honest quote requires a medical summary and route details.
The price depends on the patient's condition, the route and the type of flight. Send us the details and get an accurate quote quickly.
If the patient has travel or health insurance, start by opening a case with the insurer or its assistance company. We can work directly with them. If there is no insurance, coverage was denied or the limit has been reached, we can still plan a safe transfer privately, and we always check first whether a commercial medical escort is clinically appropriate, because it costs far less than an air ambulance. See medical flight without insurance.
The Israel Air & Ambulance medical team includes physicians specialized in medical flights, a medical director, and medical specialists in every field, such as cardiology, trauma and surgery, cardiac surgery, orthopedics and more.
The crew that accompanies the patient is matched to each case according to the medical condition. A patient after a cardiac event, an accident or surgery is escorted by a crew member who knows that field, and the medical plan for the flight is coordinated with the treating physician and the receiving hospital.
It depends on the flight type (commercial escort, airline stretcher or air ambulance), the origin city, crew, equipment, ground ambulances and urgency. Send a medical summary and route details to WhatsApp +972 53-232-1101 for a written quote.
Yes. With advance coordination and approval from the airline's medical department, almost any medical condition can fly on a scheduled flight with a medical escort, including ventilated patients on an airline stretcher.
When the transfer is urgent and no suitable commercial flight is available in time, when the airline does not approve the case, or when the family prefers a private aircraft. A dedicated medical aircraft with an intensive care crew is then coordinated.
A medical crew matched to the case. Our team includes physicians specialized in medical flights, a medical director and medical specialists in every field, such as cardiology, trauma and surgery, cardiac surgery and orthopedics. The crew is chosen according to the medical condition, including a specialist from the relevant field when needed.
Yes. We coordinate medical flights in both directions, including ambulance transfer to Ben Gurion Airport, the escorted flight and ambulance handover at the destination in the USA.
Usually not. On this distance a dedicated medical aircraft typically makes at least one planned refuelling stop, depending on the aircraft and the route.
Yes. We plan a private transfer with a clear quote and first check whether a commercial medical escort is clinically appropriate, as it costs far less than an air ambulance.
Leave a few details and we will call or WhatsApp you back, 24/7.
Send the location, destination and a medical summary on WhatsApp and we will come back with an assessment and a quote. Available 24/7.
Phone: +972 53-232-1101
WhatsApp: +972 53-232-1101
Address: HaAmakim 102, Tiberias, Israel
Related: Medical flights from and to the USA · Medical escort on commercial flights · Airline stretcher on a commercial flight · Air ambulance · Medical repatriation to Israel · Medical flight without insurance · Book online