Fiji to Australia, 24/7
Air Ambulance Fiji to Brisbane
Bed-to-bed transfers with a medical team on board and ground ambulances at both ends. About 3.5 to 4 hours nonstop from Nadi. No fuel stop in most cases.
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- Distance
- About 2,710 km
- Flight time
- About 3.5 to 4 hours nonstop
- Typical aircraft
- Learjet or Hawker 800
- Fuel stop?
- Usually not. A stop is only planned for a sea-level cabin or strong headwinds.
Nadi (NAN) or Nausori/Suva (SUV) to Brisbane (BNE). Times are planning estimates and change with winds, aircraft and the patient's needs.
What is involved in getting a patient from Fiji to Brisbane?
Brisbane is the closest major Australian city to Fiji and the most common destination for Queenslanders who fall ill or are injured there. The flight is short enough for a light or mid-size jet, so the main planning questions are about the patient, not the aircraft's range.
The bigger challenge is often getting the patient to the airport. Many Fiji holidays are on outer islands, and the best-equipped hospitals are on the other side of Viti Levu from Nadi.
How long is the flight, and does it need a fuel stop?
From Nadi, a Learjet or Hawker 800 reaches Brisbane in about three and a half to four hours without stopping. The patient clears the Australian border in Brisbane.
If the patient is a diver with decompression illness, or has air trapped in the chest or skull, the crew may hold the cabin near sea-level pressure. That means flying lower and burning more fuel, and on some days it adds a technical stop. We decide this with the treating doctor before choosing the aircraft.
Fiji is two hours ahead of Brisbane all year, since Queensland has no daylight saving.
Why do Australians need to come home from Fiji?
Diving and snorkelling incidents
Decompression illness and near-drownings among divers on the Coral Coast, Beqa Lagoon and the outer islands.
Resort injuries
Falls, fractures and boating accidents at resorts in Denarau, the Coral Coast and the Mamanuca and Yasawa islands.
Heart problems and stroke
Older travellers who have a heart attack or stroke, where Fiji's cardiac services are more limited than Brisbane's.
Severe infections
Cellulitis from coral cuts, and other infections that don't respond to first treatment.
Can you arrange the ambulance and hospital at both ends?
Yes. The transfer is planned bed to bed, so the family doesn't have to organise anything at either end.
In Fiji
Patients on Viti Levu are usually at Lautoka Hospital near Nadi, at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital or a private hospital in Suva, or at a private clinic in Nadi. From Suva, we can fly out of Nausori Airport rather than drive three to four hours to Nadi.
From the outer islands, the first step is a boat, seaplane or helicopter to the main island. We coordinate that leg with the resort and the local medical team.
In Brisbane
In Brisbane, receiving hospitals include Royal Brisbane and Women's, Princess Alexandra, The Prince Charles Hospital for cardiac care, Queensland Children's Hospital and the private hospitals. We confirm acceptance and a bed before departure.
A road ambulance meets the aircraft at Brisbane Airport for the transfer to hospital.
Does the patient need an air ambulance?
There are direct scheduled flights from Nadi to Brisbane of about four hours. Stable patients may fly seated with a nurse escort, subject to the airline's medical clearance. Divers with decompression illness should not fly on a commercial flight.
What documents are needed from Fiji to Brisbane?
For a Fiji to Brisbane transfer we need the patient's passport, a medical report from the treating doctor in Nadi, Lautoka or Suva, and the insurance policy details. Records from Fiji's public hospitals can be brief or handwritten, so our doctor often speaks with the treating doctor directly to fill the gaps.
Many patients on this route are resort or cruise guests. If the patient was first seen at a resort clinic or by a ship's doctor, those notes are worth having too. Fiji hospitals and private clinics usually ask for payment or an insurer's guarantee before releasing a foreign patient.
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