When lives hang in the balance, time becomes the most valuable resource. Across Norway’s unforgiving landscapes of glacier-cut fjords, Arctic storms and isolated island communities, Avincis depends on the Beechcraft® King Air® 250 turboprop and the Cessna® Citation® Latitude® jet to reach patients where roads cannot.
Avincis is Europe’s leading provider of emergency aerial services, trusted by governments worldwide. Headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, the company manages over 190 global bases and operates a fleet of more than 200 aircraft. Avincis manages a fleet fixed-wing air ambulance aircraft on behalf Luftambulansetjenesten HF (LAT HF).
With more than 30 years of experience, pilot Kent Antonsen is a proud pilot of air ambulance operations and brings deep expertise to the field. Thousands of islands, harsh winters, steep coastal terrain and narrow fjords make ground transport difficult—often impossible. “It can take seven hours by car but only seven minutes by aircraft,” Kent explained. “That’s why we use airplanes as our ambulances.”
With the right aircraft, even the most rugged environments can be reached.
The Right Aircraft for the Mission
With their entire fleet expected to be on standby and ready to fly 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year, Avincis currently entrusts this responsibility to 13 Beechcraft® King Air® 250 turboprops and two Cessna® Citation® Latitude® jets.
“The King Air is the backbone of the operation—it’s our pickup truck,” Kent said. “It can handle anything. For most missions, it’s simply the right tool.” Where the Beechcraft® high-performance turboprop is ultra capable on short, gravel runways and features steep approach, the midsize Citation® jet offers greater speed, range and payload for missions requiring more equipment or extended distances.
Equipped for Success
The Norweigian team completes around 9,000 life-saving missions a year. Both aircraft feature room for two stretchers, with three seats in the turboprop and five seats in the jet for medical personnel and family members. Inside the cabin, the team is equipped with monitors, respiratory systems and mechanical CPR devices capable of sustaining compressions for hours—critical in remote regions where hospitals are far away.
Weather and terrain are constant challenges with more than 30% of missions flown in foggy nights, visibility becomes critical. Volcanic gravel strips, narrow fjords and sudden weather shifts demand aircraft engineered for unpredictable and unforgiving conditions.
Guided by a modern avionics suite with Synthetic Vision, Weather Radar, Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance (TCAS) and Integrated Terrain Awareness and Warning System (ITAWS), both the King Air® 250 and Citation® Latitude® aircraft allow for successful missions under these conditions.
This evolution hasn’t gone unnoticed. Kent remembers early cockpits filled with analog gauges. “We were so happy, we thought we had full control” he said. “Now we have synthetic vision, moving maps, traffic avoidance—it’s a totally different world.”
Rooted in Compassion
The Avincis team is built around one core principle - empathy. While the pilots, nurses and doctors bring deep expertise in intensive care, it is their compassion that sets them apart.
When some patients and relatives are hesitant to fly, Kent explains, “You can talk with them in a good way […] then suddenly they’ve forgotten that they were scared.”
The team refers to themselves as a blue light community—not because their aircraft has blue lights, but because they have built a community centered around care, communication and collaboration. Whether in flight or on ground, the team maintains strong communication with police, EMS, fire trucks and hospitals that allows for seamless medical transport.
Their MRO team keeps the fleet in top condition, with technicians working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure every nut, bolt, and blade meets the highest standards. With nearly 720 specialists across global maintenance hubs, they handle everything from routine checks to major overhauls, ensuring uninterrupted service. Their maintenance culture mirrors the mission: precise, tireless and centered on saving lives.
“It’s a meaningful flight. We get home and we know that today we have been part of something bigger.” For this team, they are a vital part of patient care—transporting patients to the hospital who got to live 20 or 50 more years.
Kent shares, “aircrafts are tools. We have to use the right tool for the right job.” Every flight bridge crisis and care—delivering life-saving results.
For Avincis, Textron Aviation aircraft aren’t just tools, they are the difference between hope and impossibility in some of the world’s most unforgiving environments.
To learn more about how our aircraft can support air ambulance missions, visit https://specialmissions.txtav.com/en/air-ambulance
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