Aspen Medical International brings medical evacuation plane to Liberia

Aspen Medical International (AMI) last month became the first U.S. company to base an aircraft in Liberia for both general aviation and aero-medical evacuation.

In September, AMI began operating a Beechcraft Corporation 1900C (B1900C) from James Spriggs Payne Airport in Monrovia, Liberia. The turboprop will provide general aviation and aero-medical evacuation services to West Africa, including Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, Mali, Niger and Nigeria.

"Aspen's mission is to provide health care for our clients from point of injury or illness through to definitive care, regionally or internationally, and that means aero-medical evacuation," Dr. Tom Crabtree, group medical director and board member of AMI, said.

The B1900C will operate under HALO Aviation's Part 135 and Part 138 Air Operating Certificates. The Part 138 is the South African Civil Aviation Authority's endorsement to conduct AME operations.

The B1900C can carry up to 19 passengers and is able to support critical patients using advanced life support equipment.