Aircraft type and positioning
The aircraft has to reach the patient before it can carry them. If the nearest suitable aircraft is several hours away, that positioning flight is part of the mission cost. Longer sectors need larger, longer-range aircraft; short regional transfers can often use turboprops that cost far less per hour.
Clinical crew configuration
A stable patient escorted by a flight nurse and paramedic costs less than a doctor-led critical care team with ventilator, infusion pumps and invasive monitoring. The configuration follows the patient's clinical picture as assessed by the treating doctor. It is not something to trade down for price.
Ground transport at both ends
Bed-to-bed means road ambulance from the ward to the aircraft and from the aircraft to the receiving hospital. In some countries this is a minor line item; in others it is a significant one. A quote without ground legs is not a complete quote.
Permits, handling and airport hours
International missions need overflight and landing permits, ground handling, and sometimes customs and immigration attendance out of hours. Curfews and restricted airport hours can force an overnight, adding crew accommodation and duty-time cost.
Urgency
An immediate launch uses whatever suitable aircraft and crew can be released now. A mission with 24 to 48 hours of lead time can usually be built more efficiently. Where the clinical situation allows planning, it reduces cost.
Who is paying
Travel insurance, employer or corporate cover, government arrangements or private payment. Insurers normally require prior approval and their own medical assessment before authorising a transport, so involve them at the first phone call rather than after departure.
How to get a figure you can rely on
We need the patient's location and treating facility, a current medical summary, the intended destination and receiving hospital, and who is funding the transport. With those, we quote in writing with the assumptions stated. Without them, any number is a guess.