The Gulf Med Aviation Services (GMAS) helicopters reached 1,000 flight hours under the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) of the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) in Portugal. This milestone was achieved in just ten months of uninterrupted operation, with operational availability rates exceeding 98%, and represents, above all, lives saved across mainland Portugal.

Gulf Med Aviation Services, a Medilink International Group subsidiary, began operations in Portugal in service of INEM on 1 July 2025, following an international public tender. The company currently operates a fleet of four Airbus H145 helicopters, providing coverage across the entire mainland territory. The service runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Operational figures until 22 March 2026:

• 1,000 flight hours
• 639 completed missions
• 387 patients transported
• Operational availability rate exceeding 98%

The 1,000 flight hours in service of medical emergency in Portugal were reached on 22 March at 10:20, by the helicopter based in Loulé. This was a primary mission carried out in Alcoutim, in the Algarve region, providing medical assistance to a 49-year-old patient.

The aircraft crew consisted of Commanders Pedro Ivo (pilot) and Ruben Timmermans (co-pilot). The mission was completed at 11:07, when the Gulf Med Aviation Services pilots landed the helicopter at the Faro Hospital heliport.

“Our thousandth flight hour in Portugal is not just any number. Behind each hour are people who needed us, and whom we reached,” says Pedro Ivo. The importance of teamwork is also highlighted by the Portuguese commander, who adds that “this result belongs to the pilots, the maintenance technicians, and everyone who works behind the scenes to ensure each helicopter is ready to take off. We do this every day, in any condition.”

The particular importance of HEMS missions is highlighted by Ruben Timmermans, who notes that “what makes this work meaningful isn’t just the flying, it’s knowing that every minute counts for patient outcomes and for the families waiting.” “That’s what gets us in the cockpit every single day,” concludes the Belgian pilot.

A medically driven operator

Gulf Med Aviation Services is part of the Medilink International Group, a global reference in the provision of medical services in emergency settings. This heritage is not merely institutional; it is the foundation of how the company conceives and executes every mission.

Sharing the same patient-centred, clinically urgent approach as INEM has been decisive in the quality of service delivered and in helicopter activation times. The helicopters operated by Gulf Med Aviation Services have an average response time of 3.9 minutes, a figure that reflects the commitment of the company’s pilots to the specificities of medical emergency missions, where time is a critical factor in patient care.

“At Medilink International, medical emergency is an activity we have been developing for more than three decades. We know the impact it has on people’s lives. The 1,000 flight hours and 639 missions completed in Portugal by Gulf Med Aviation Services fill us with pride and renew our commitment to continuing to make a difference,” says Maria Melillo, CEO of the Medilink International Group.

Gulf Med Aviation Services is an international helicopter emergency medical services operator, founded in 2016 and headquartered in Malta. The company holds EASA certification (AOC and Part 145) and operates HEMS services in Malta, Portugal, Ireland, and Spain.