Tokyo, Japan to Australia, 24/7
Air Ambulance Tokyo to Sydney
Bed-to-bed transfers with a medical team on board and ground ambulances at both ends. About 9.5 hours nonstop by long-range jet, or around 12 hours with one stop.
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- Distance
- About 7,820 km
- Flight time
- About 9.5 hours nonstop, or around 12 hours with one stop
- Typical aircraft
- Gulfstream G550 or Global Express nonstop, or Challenger 605 with one stop
- Fuel stop?
- Not in a long-range jet. A mid-size jet stops once to refuel, for example in Guam.
Tokyo Haneda (HND) or Narita (NRT) to Sydney (SYD). Times are planning estimates and change with winds, aircraft and the patient's needs.
What is involved in getting a patient from Tokyo to Sydney?
Most of the calls we get from Japan come in winter. Australians make up a large share of the skiers in Niseko and Hakuba, and knee, wrist, shoulder and spinal injuries on the slopes are a regular reason families need to get someone home. The rest of the year, it is more often older travellers taken ill on a tour or a cruise.
Japan's hospitals are excellent, but language can be a real barrier for a patient and family trying to understand what is happening. Part of our job on this route is explaining the medical picture, as well as translating the records, so the family knows the options before anything is booked.
How long is the flight, and does it need a fuel stop?
A Gulfstream G550 or Global Express flies Tokyo to Sydney nonstop in about nine and a half hours with a full medical team. The patient clears the Australian border in Sydney.
A Challenger 605 needs one fuel stop on a route this long, which brings the total to around twelve hours. For a stable patient with a repaired fracture that is usually fine. For a patient on a ventilator, we prefer the nonstop option.
Business aviation slots at Haneda are limited, so we sometimes use Narita, which is further from central Tokyo. Patients injured in Hokkaido or Nagano may be collected closer to where they are, such as New Chitose Airport near Sapporo. Sydney is one hour ahead of Tokyo in Australian standard time and two hours ahead during daylight saving.
Why do Australians need to come home from Tokyo?
Ski and snowboard injuries
Fractures, knee ligament tears, shoulder dislocations and spinal injuries from Niseko, Hakuba, Furano and other resorts, where families want surgery or rehabilitation at home.
Stroke and heart attack
Older travellers on tours and cruises who are treated in Japan and need to be near family for recovery.
Road and pedestrian accidents
Injuries in the cities and on rural roads in winter conditions.
Australians living in Japan
Expatriates, teachers and students who need treatment for a serious illness at home.
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 Tokyo
In Tokyo, Australians are often treated at hospitals such as St Luke's International, which has English-speaking staff, or at large university hospitals. In ski areas, patients may first go to a local clinic and then a regional hospital in Kutchan, Sapporo or Nagano. We speak with the treating doctor, with an interpreter where needed, before the transfer is booked.
A Japanese ambulance takes the patient from the ward to the airport. Japanese hospitals follow careful discharge procedures, so we agree the exact handover time with the hospital well in advance.
In Sydney
Sydney receiving hospitals include Royal North Shore, Royal Prince Alfred, St Vincent's, Prince of Wales and Westmead, along with private hospitals such as North Shore Private and St Vincent's Private. For spinal cord injuries, Royal North Shore and Prince of Wales have dedicated spinal units.
A road ambulance meets the aircraft at Sydney Airport. The flight nurse or doctor goes with the patient to the ward and hands over, along with English translations of the key Japanese records.
Does the patient need an air ambulance?
Several airlines fly Tokyo to Sydney direct in about nine and a half hours. A stable patient, such as a skier with a repaired fracture, can often fly home in business class with a nurse escort, subject to the airline's medical clearance. It costs much less than an air ambulance.
What documents are needed from Tokyo to Sydney?
For Tokyo to Sydney we need the passport, the medical report, imaging on disc and the insurer's claim number. Japanese hospitals usually write reports in Japanese. Many will prepare an English summary if asked, but it can take a few days, so we often arrange translation ourselves to keep things moving.
Japanese hospitals generally ask for payment or an insurer's guarantee before discharge. Some medicines common in Australia, including certain ADHD medicines and strong painkillers, are restricted in Japan. If the patient relies on one of these, tell us, so the medical team can plan the supply for the flight.
FAQ