Increasing air travel has resulted in a significant increase in aeromedical evacuation over the past decade. However there is only a small amount of epidemiological data available on the diagnosis, costs and transport characteristics of aeromedical evacuation cases. In the present study Cases of aeromedical evacuation by a relief organization (Workers' Samaritan Federation Germany) were analyzed based on the following criteria: age, sex and diagnosis of the patient, ventilation mode, days of illness before transport, type of transport, flight routes, flying time, flight distance, type of aircraft, type and distance of connecting transport from the destination airport to the final hospital, total cost per repatriation, and costs per flight-minute of each transport type.

Inclusion Criteria:

• medical emergency and aeromedical evacuation / repatriation

Exclusion Criteria:

• none

Patients who were repatriated from abroad because of a medical emergency