Gulf Med Aviation Services operates the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) in Portugal. With a dedicated team of 36 pilots, 8 mechanics, four bases, and 5 Airbus H145 helicopters assigned to the operation, this Medilink International group company has brought high operational standards to the service.
Portuguese television station SIC, the country’s leading channel by audience share, followed the HEMS team over several weeks. The result was a Special Report, broadcast recently, which we are sharing here.
In this piece of journalism, you can learn about the missions flown by Gulf Med Aviation Services helicopters and the challenges their professionals face every day. Working alongside the medical teams of the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM), they deliver life-saving assistance in critical situations.
Image: Hilário Margarido and Pedro Carriço at GMAS Pilots PT
Gulf Med Aviation Services began operations in Portugal in July 2025, following an international public tender. From that date to the end of last May, the operation recorded the following figures:
- 954 missions completed;
- 596 primary missions, 346 secondary missions;
- 1,446 flight hours;
- 614 patients transported.
Gulf Med Aviation Services is an international helicopter emergency medical services operator, founded in 2016 and headquartered in Malta. The company holds EASA certification (AOC and Part 145) and operates HEMS and Air Ambulance services in Malta, Ireland, Spain, and Portugal.
Image: Bram Sevenhujsen – GMAS Flight Operations Manager
“Operations in Portugal are now at cruising speed and our teams have been able to bring their full competence and expertise to bear on this noble life-saving mission,” says Hugo Chambel, Gulf Med Aviation Services Director for the Iberian Peninsula. He also highlights “the high operational performance levels achieved, including aircraft activation times of around three minutes”.
Image: Hugo Chambel, Gulf Med Aviation Services Director
Watch the full SIC special report here (available in Portuguese):