Germany's air ambulance specialist and special mission operator FAI rent-a-jet has been honoured with the Pandemic Response Special Award at the 2021 Aviation Annual Achievement Awards in Dubai. The judging panel highlighted FAI's prompt and timely roll out of its COVID-19 aeromedical transport capability as well as its ability to increase capacity across its fleet as it rapidly responded to the pandemic. This latest award win follows FAI's Aviation Annual Achievement Award in the Anniversary Milestone category in 2019.

Accepting the 2021 award, FAI MD Barbara Baumgartner says: “On behalf of FAI, I am incredibly proud to have won this prestigious award, particularly given the immensely challenging year we have had to meet demand and manage restrictions during the pandemic. I would like to thank our entire team who are driven by passion, dedication and determination to overcome challenges and who have learnt never to take anything for granted. Without them, our work and this achievement would not be possible.”

MEA Business executive director Kenneth Mitchen adds: “Congratulations to the team at FAI for a well-deserved win in this special category. Our judging panel commented that FAI demonstrated creditable foresight and dedication, allowing it to maintain vital services throughout the most difficult and unpredictable year in recent history.”

In 2020, FAI rent-a-jet emerged from its busiest period in its 30-year history owing to the coronavirus pandemic. During this time the division was operating at maximum capacity and worked hard to fulfil all the requests coming in 24/7 for repatriation and medevac flights utilising its 10-strong fleet of air ambulance jet aircraft, covering all corners of the globe.

At the earliest time, FAI pioneered the roll-out of COVID-19 aeromedical transport capability, the EpiShuttle isolation pod. This enables self-contained oxygen and air ventilation directly to the patient, isolated from the cabin's airflow. In the past nine months, the division has worked hard to manage and respond to a very challenging and fluid situation with multiple operational restrictions and limitations. FAI has pioneered a number of passenger air transportation options for the repatriation of travellers and has created an environment where appropriate social distancing is feasible in flight and where strict hygiene measures can be enforced. FAI developed a client package of comprehensive pandemic guidelines which has enabled the company to safely transport COVID-19 positive patients, whether in stable or critical condition, from any location, to any destination across the globe.

FAI Aviation Group is co-owned by the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Bahrain (Mumtalakat) and has enjoyed a strong presence in the MENA region over the past 18 years.

The company is the world's largest air ambulance jet operator by revenue, logging far above 10,000 hours per year flying air ambulance missions. The fleet comprises Bombardier Global Express, Challenger 604 and Learjet 60 is based at FAI's headquarters at Albrecht Dürer International Airport in Nuremberg. It is supported by more than 200 full time staff plus 50 part-time physicians, nurses and paramedics. The company specialises in air support in hostile areas for the world's largest NGO.

The Aviation Achievement Awards 2021 recognise and honour aviation organisations and leaders who have demonstrated exceptional resilience, innovation, adaptability and safety over the past year. The awards follow an application process which is judged by a committee.