Gulfstream Aerospace handed over a Gulfstream G550 tailored for in-flight medical care to the Beijing Red Cross Emergency Medical Center during a ceremony this week at the aircraft manufacturer's headquarters in Savannah, Georgia. Li Libing, director of the Beijing Red Cross Emergency Center, showcased the aircraft during the July 25 ceremony and also indicated an interest in adding a similarly equipped Gulfstream G650ER to its fleet, Gulfstream said.

Gulfstream president Mark Burns, also on hand at the ceremony, said the G550 highlights “the art of the possible.” The aircraft will be used for disaster relief and air rescue services and incorporates a medical bay that is equipped to sustain and stabilize critically ill patients.

The design provides for 360-degree in-flight patient access, which Gulfstream claims is a medevac first. The equipment includes advanced life-support capabilities such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, a bed that can accommodate an infant incubator, a powered gurney loading system on the aircraft stairs, X-ray viewing equipment, refrigerated medical storage cabinets, fold-out nurse seats, and crew rest space.

Calling the design transformational, Burns added, “This modified G550 will change—and save—lives, forever altering the expectations for medevac support.”