VIP Jets, based at Bangkok's Don Muang International airport, is now operating medevac flights from Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam into Thailand with special protection for patients, medical teams, pilots and companions during COVID-19.

Before booking a medevac flight with VIP Jets, patients and their companions must be in possession of a valid COE (Certificate of Entry), a visa, a negative COVID-19 PCR test within the last 72 hours, insurance worth US$100,000 specifically covering COVID-19, confirmation of hospital or ASQ (alternate state quarantine), hotel booking and a Fit-to-Fly certificate.

Private jet flights for passengers with the required documents are now also possible.

VIP Jets operates one Citation Mustang C510 in both private jet and medevac configurations and is evaluating the addition of one or two additional aircraft during 2021.

“The Mustang’s size is ideal for operating one to three hour missions within Thailand and its neighbouring countries at very competitive prices,” reveals VIP Jets director Luzi Matzig. “The most popular route for medevac flights is from Phnom Penh in Cambodia to Bangkok’s Don Muang International airport, as medical facilities in Cambodia are insufficient for the treatment of critically ill patients. This month we operated a medevac flight for a seriously ill Malaysian patient from Vientiane in Laos to Subang/Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.”

Matzig goes on to say that the global virus pandemic has ‘killed’ tourism: “Border closures and very strict COVID-19 regulations have also made it a lot more difficult to secure the complex documents required by patients to be moved from one country to another. Regretfully, several critically ill patients in Bangladesh died before they could be flown to Thailand for treatment, because securing the needed documents took several days.”

The company is eyeing up a number of aircraft to potentially add to its fleet, including the Phenom 300E and Citation XLS+.