The questions families, hospitals, and case managers ask most about this service, answered the way we would answer them on the phone.
Not covered here? A flight coordinator answers the line 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Neonatal and Pediatric Air Ambulance
Neonatal and pediatric air ambulance transport moves newborns, infants, and children between hospitals by dedicated aircraft with a specialized medical team and equipment sized for the patient. It suits children who need a higher level of care than the local hospital can provide. Advanced Air Ambulance coordinates each transfer bedside to bedside, with a parent aboard on most flights.
- Who it's for
- Newborns, infants, and children, from stable transfers to critical NICU and PICU cases
- Aircraft
- Learjet, Gulfstream, King Air, or Cessna with incubator or pediatric stretcher configuration
- Medical crew
- Neonatal or pediatric nurse with respiratory therapist, selected by the medical director
- Range
- Domestic and international
- Handoff
- NICU, PICU, or ward bedside to receiving unit bedside, ground ambulance included
- Availability
- 24/7; most domestic missions depart within 24 hours of confirmation
Overview
When a newborn requires urgent medical air transfer to a specialized hospital for a major surgical operation, a medical procedure or simply for an evaluation, Advanced Air Ambulance medflight team facilitates those flights for both neonates and pediatrics ranging from very stable to most critical ones.
The neonatal medical air transport team is licensed and familiar with air and ground medical care. This medflight team may include registered nurses, paramedics, respiratory therapists, nurse practitioners and/or physicians who have experience in neonatal, perinatal, and pediatric intensive care. However, the medflight neonatal team is determined based on the patient’s needs and the availability of personnel.
We assess and monitor all aspects of the neonatal and pediatric medical air transport program along with periodic review processes. As part of our quality assurance program, continuing education, maintaining all required certifications and all operational issues are deeply imbedded into the safe medflight transfer program.
To assure the success of the program, the medical director is involved in selecting the appropriate medflight staff and their continuing education and training, directing the quality management program and reviewing the newly implemented policies.
Who this service is for
Children are not small adults in a transport setting. Airway size, fluid balance, temperature regulation, and medication dosing all demand clinicians and equipment matched to the child’s age and weight. Beyond the newborn who needs surgery or evaluation, typical cases include an infant with a cardiac or respiratory condition moving to a higher level of care, a child injured on vacation whose parents want treatment at home, and a pediatric patient relocating for long-term treatment.
NICU and PICU teams call when their own transport team cannot cover the distance or aircraft type needed. For the youngest and most fragile patients, see neonatal medical flight; for older children and family planning, see pediatric medical transport.
What is included
Every neonatal and pediatric transfer is quoted as one all-inclusive figure covering the aircraft, the specialized team, age-appropriate equipment, and ground ambulance at both ends, unless you ask us to arrange it differently.
- Aircraft configured for an incubator or a pediatric stretcher as the patient requires
- Incubator transport with temperature control and monitoring for neonates
- Pediatric-sized airway, ventilation, IV, and monitoring equipment, with weight-based dosing prepared in advance
- Physician-to-physician coordination and receiving-team briefing
- A seat for a parent or guardian on most flights, as the aircraft and equipment allow
- Assistance verifying insurance coverage and benefits, and help submitting a claim after transport
How it works
- First call. A flight coordinator takes the child’s age, weight, diagnosis, current support, location, and destination.
- Clinical review and quote. The medical director reviews the case with the treating team and assembles the right clinicians. You receive a free, all-inclusive quote.
- Planning. We configure the aircraft for an incubator or pediatric stretcher, prepare weight-based equipment and medications, arrange ground ambulances, and confirm which parent will fly.
- Bedside pickup. The team takes the handoff, transfers the child to the incubator or stretcher, and rides with them to the aircraft.
- Flight and handoff. Continuous monitoring and treatment, with the receiving unit updated en route. A ground ambulance meets the aircraft and the team delivers the child, records, and a verbal report.
Aircraft and medical equipment
Neonatal and pediatric missions fly on the same ICU-configured aircraft as our adult transports, with Advanced Life Support equipment and an FAA-approved stretcher system. For neonates, a transport incubator is secured to the stretcher system, providing temperature regulation, monitoring, and access ports for care in flight. For older children, the stretcher is fitted with pediatric restraints and padding.
Equipment is sized for the patient: neonatal and pediatric ventilator circuits, infusion pumps for precise low-volume dosing, and monitors with neonatal and pediatric parameters. All crew are certified in ACLS and Aviation Physiology and trained to the U.S. DOT Air Medical Crew National Standard Curriculum (Advanced). Advanced Air Ambulance is licensed and certified by the Florida Department of Health.
What affects the cost
Distance and aircraft type drive most of the cost, as with any private air ambulance mission. Neonatal and pediatric transfers add factors of their own: the incubator or specialized stretcher configuration, the size and specialty mix of the team, ventilation or infusion equipment the child requires, and the coordination between NICU or PICU units.
We can assist in verifying insurance coverage and benefits, may assist in obtaining pre-authorization where possible, and accept private, government, and corporate pay. Quotes are free and carry no obligation; if you receive a better quote elsewhere, we will do our best to match it. Request a quote or call +1-800-633-3590.
Get a free quote for
Neonatal and Pediatric Air Ambulance.
Give us a call or send us an email anytime, we are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and endeavour to answer all inquiries within 24 hours.
If urgent, call us immediately.
- US toll-free
- +1-800-633-3590
- International
- +1-305-232-7700
- [email protected]
Frequently asked questions
Can a parent fly with their child on an air ambulance?
Yes. On most neonatal and pediatric flights a parent or guardian can accompany the child in the aircraft cabin. Space depends on the aircraft assigned and the equipment the child needs; an incubator and full team take more room than a standard stretcher. Tell your flight coordinator who would like to travel when you request a quote, and we will plan the aircraft so a parent can be aboard whenever possible.
How much does a pediatric or neonatal air ambulance cost?
Cost depends on distance, the aircraft required, the incubator or pediatric configuration, the size of the specialized team, and ground ambulances at both ends. Advanced Air Ambulance provides one all-inclusive quote covering all of these, free and without obligation. We can assist in verifying insurance benefits and accept private, government, and corporate pay. Call +1-800-633-3590 or use the quote form.
Who is on the medical team for a neonatal or pediatric flight?
The team is assembled for each patient by our medical director and may include registered nurses, respiratory therapists, paramedics, nurse practitioners, or physicians with experience in neonatal, perinatal, or pediatric intensive care. Neonatal flights typically pair a neonatal nurse with a respiratory therapist and use incubator transport. All crew are certified in ACLS and Aviation Physiology and trained to the U.S. DOT Air Medical Crew National Standard Curriculum (Advanced).
Can a premature baby be transported by air ambulance?
Yes. Premature and low-birth-weight infants are transported in a transport incubator that maintains temperature and allows continuous monitoring and care in flight, with a neonatal nurse and respiratory therapist aboard. Our medical director reviews each case with the sending neonatologist to confirm the infant is stable enough for the transfer and to plan ventilation and medication needs. See our neonatal medical flight page for details.
How quickly can a pediatric air ambulance be arranged?
Our line is answered 24 hours a day, and form submissions typically receive a coordinator’s call within one to two hours, always within 24. Once confirmed, most domestic missions depart within 24 hours, sometimes the same day. Pediatric and neonatal flights may need slightly more preparation time to configure the incubator and assemble the specialized team, and we will give you a realistic departure window at the first call.