MedAire (P414), which is offering a virtual-reality tour of its MedLink facility during the ABACE show, has recently seen an increase in emotional-support requests from aviation crews. Flight and cabin crew endure stressful situations while working through long days, time-zone changes, limited breaks, communication difficulties with loved ones, customer interactions, and life-threatening risks. Additionally, the travel risk company is expanding its security services on new aircraft.

MedAire’s business aviation clients can receive the company’s crew support as part of its membership program. Through this program, all crew and passengers traveling in the covered aircraft receive around-the-clock medical and security assistance in the air and at their destination.

“We see more requests for emotional support referrals—either in response to a critical event that happens on the job or for other ongoing stressors affecting the crewmembers' mental health,” said Richard Gomez, v-p of aviation product development at MedAire. “Our membership program for business aviation clients has always included crew support, including making referrals for emotional support upon request. The difference now is that the medical team is proactively recommending these services when they identify that it would be helpful for clients. MedAire is not just for in-flight emergencies. Crewmembers are using the service while travelling if they have a medical, security, or travel safety issue in the air or at their destination.”

At the same time, MedAire is expanding its security services on new aircraft because it found that the demand for security assistance from business aviation is similar to the sector's demand for medical expertise. MedAire's Global Response Center in Phoenix, Arizona, receives an equal number of assistance requests for security-related incidents as it does requests for medical services for business aviation.

For this reason, the company is increasing expanding security services to include aviation travel security briefs, airspace assessments, and advice to diminish risk at the destination, and access to MedAire’s around-the-clock global network of security experts, local providers, and logistics personnel. This is in addition to MedLink in-flight medical assistance, medical kits, and life-saving equipment, crew training, on-the-ground support for crew and guests while at their destination, aviation security services, and pre-travel planning tools.

“Our customers are flying to locations far and wide across the globe, and they see it as critical to have a reliable partner with the experience, expertise, capabilities, and the global footprint to take care of the crew, owners, and guests,” said MedAire CEO Bill Dolny. “Clients have absolute peace of mind that wherever they travel, and whatever may happen, MedAire can expertly and quickly assist.”

At ABACE this year, attendees can take a virtual reality tour of the company’s MedLink facility. Created in 1987 and located in Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, MedLink fields travel-related medical calls from aircraft around the globe to its team of doctors. The company has similar facilities in Beijing and Frankfurt, Germany.