1 November 2025 marked the beginning of a new chapter for INEM’s Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS). Gulf Med Aviation Services has now assumed full operations with four Airbus H145 helicopters positioned across Loulé, Évora, Viseu and Macedo de Cavaleiros. To understand the scale of this achievement and the challenges involved, we spoke with Bram Sevenhuijsen, Flight Operations Manager at Gulf Med Aviation Services, who brings more than twenty years of experience in HEMS and SAR operations across Europe.

1. The operation went live today. What were the greatest challenges in reaching this milestone?

The past few months have been extremely intense. The timeline for this project was exceptionally tight due to circumstances outside our control. This operation required far more than positioning aircraft. It involved complex certifications with aeronautical authorities, compulsory risk assessments for every type of HEMS mission in Portuguese territory, coordination with INEM, preparation of operational bases, and ensuring complete alignment of our crews with the most rigorous safety procedures in European aviation.

What made this particularly demanding was the non-negotiable requirement that safety must never be compromised. Not once. At Gulf Med Aviation Services that is a red line. I would rather reschedule a mission than put a single life at risk, whether that of a patient, a crew member or someone on the ground. Doing things properly, with absolute rigour, is essential even when the pressure is enormous, as it was in this case.

2. With your international experience in HEMS, what distinguishes this operation in Portugal?

Every country has its own operational realities, and Portugal is no exception. The geography is diverse, with coastal regions, mountainous areas and rapidly changing weather patterns. Our task is to bring the most advanced aeronautical technology to this environment. The Airbus H145 is a global reference in HEMS and offers exceptional performance in demanding conditions.

We combine this technology with decades of operational experience gained in countries such as Germany and the Netherlands. Our protocols have been tested in thousands of missions. We know what works when every second counts.

Another important factor is our origin. Gulf Med Aviation Services is part of Medilink International, a group with deep roots in medical services. We are not only an aviation company. We understand the clinical environment, the specific needs of transporting critically ill patients, and the importance of every detail inside the medical cabin. This gives us a unique competitive advantage.

3. Looking ahead, how do you see this service evolving in the coming years?

We are proud to have made these four helicopters fully operational. But our ambition goes further. We want to contribute to raising the standards of HEMS in Portugal through continuous improvement.

This includes ongoing training for our pilots, who play an essential role in mission success, and systematic analysis of operational data to identify opportunities for optimisation. We aim to share international best practices with INEM and evolve together.

Above all, our focus remains on the people we serve. Citizens who, in the most difficult moments of their lives, depend on a rapid, safe and professional response. That is our mission, and it is a responsibility we take very seriously, every day, on every flight.

About Bram Sevenhuijsen

Bram Sevenhuijsen is the Flight Operations Manager and a HEMS and Air Ambulance specialist at Gulf Med Aviation Services. With more than twenty years of experience in civil aviation, HEMS and offshore operations, he has held leadership roles at internationally recognised organisations including WIKING Helikopter, Northern HeliCopter and DanCopter. A certified SAR and HEMS pilot, Bram combines hands-on flying experience with strategic operational leadership and training expertise.