- Despite the Air Force having the aircraft necessary for air ambulance missions, why is the government paving the way for private companies?
- The plan envisions a full handover of air ambulance services to private operators.
- There will be 3,500 air transfers per year at an estimated cost of €70,000,000.
- The Ministry of Health “froze” plans to purchase four new helicopters for €60 million.
- Patients are transferred by private vehicles from air and sea, and citizens organize themselves just to feel a basic sense of safety.
By Paris Karvounopoulos
The collapse of Greece’s public infrastructure, which peaked during the bailout years and continues to burden citizens, is evident on the Aegean Islands. The state’s inability to quickly and safely transport patients or injured individuals from any island has created a deep sense of insecurity among residents and seriously damaged the country’s tourism industry. If a tourist urgently needs to be flown to Athens, who can guarantee that will happen?
Even though the Air Force is currently in the best shape in years in terms of available aircraft for medical airlifts, the Greek state appears unable to provide such assurances.
According to the Data Journalists’ investigation, the Air Force currently has six fully operational aircraft:
- Five C-27 aircraft, with a sixth expected by summer.
- Five Super Puma helicopters
- At least two A-109 helicopters.
With this fleet, the Air Force can comfortably handle the vast majority of air ambulance missions. So why the growing insistence on outsourcing this mission to private companies at a significantly higher cost? Why should we pay private operators when the money could be used to maintain the flight capabilities of aircraft and vessels already operated by the Armed Forces, the Coast Guard, and the National Emergency Center (EKAV)? What lies behind this fixation on “private enterprise”?
As previously revealed by Data Journalists, the plan for the full privatization of air ambulance services has been under discussion since 2023. The proposal involves establishing six air ambulance bases, which private companies would operate. Currently, there are only two bases: one in Aktio and one in Syros. Private firms have expressed interest and are preparing to take over operations as soon as they receive approval.
Around 3,500 airlifts are estimated to be needed each year, costing approximately €70 million, which would be allocated to private operators. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has “frozen” plans to purchase four new air ambulance helicopters, which would have cost €60 million. The key question remains unanswered: Why aren’t public services being strengthened to meet the country’s growing need for air medical transport?
The “free market” of air ambulance services – The case of Paros
Island residents are experiencing an all-time high in insecurity. The combination of deteriorating healthcare infrastructure and gaps in the air ambulance system is increasing their risk and anxiety. This isn’t just an issue for remote, neglected border islands; even Kastellorizo, a location of critical national importance just a stone’s throw from the Turkish coast, faces the same challenges. The Turks have built a hospital right across from Kastellorizo for obvious reasons. Yet, even the so-called “cosmopolitan” islands — the country’s tourism crown jewels — are in a similarly precarious situation.
Paros is of particular interest because it was the first island to host a private air ambulance company. The company began operating medical flights out of Paros on April 4, 2025. Its arrival on the island is not, at least not yet, connected to the government’s privatization plan for air ambulance services. Instead, the company reached an agreement with the Velentzeio Foundation. Its helicopter, an Airbus 135, is fully equipped with a certified stretcher and medical equipment. It operates under a Certified Air Operator (AOC) per current EASA regulations. The company is based at the old Paros airport. The company provides a qualified physician for each flight. Initially, residents of Paros and tourism business owners on the island believed this was the solution for reliable emergency transport in case of illness or injury. However, wherever private operators are involved, competition naturally follows — and that’s exactly where the problems begin.
According to the Velentzeio Foundation, as of May 4, 2025 — one month after operational readiness began — only five out of approximately 50 airlift cases were carried out using the private company’s helicopter, as selected by EKAV. The legislation governing air ambulance operations in Greece since 1994 is clear and specific: the attending physician’s opinion is decisive when requesting a transfer. EKAV’s Coordination Center determines the mode of transport — whether air or sea — in collaboration with the requesting doctor. The decision must primarily consider the patient’s health and survival. Patient transfers must be carried out using the method that ensures the fastest response time, the greatest reliability, proper medical care, and the least financial burden. However, the numbers above suggest otherwise. Once again, voices in opposition have emerged — voices that reject and resist this initiative, whose sole purpose is to safeguard the health and lives of patients in need of urgent medical transfer under the best possible conditions. The Velentzeio Foundation has been working to find a solution to this issue for years and is no stranger to such opposition, both within and beyond institutional circles. Unfortunately, misleading, unverified, and careless claims have resurfaced on social media, alleging issues with certification, equipment, or operating conditions. Nevertheless, the growing show of support, assistance, and concern expressed by much of the Paros community is worth noting. The community is now voicing confusion, concern, and frustration.
The Velentzeio Foundation/SKY HOPE is in ongoing contact with the Deputy Minister responsible, the new President of EKAV, the Director of the Second Regional Health Authority, the Paros Health Center, and all other relevant agencies and authorities. They are seeking a permanent solution to this issue.
For the Velentzeio Foundation for Welfare & Education,
Athanasia Keskinidi
For SKY HOPE,
Euripides Akalestos”
The Velentzeio Foundation was involved in an earlier initiative in 2007 under the leadership of Yiannis Ragousis, the former mayor of Paros, to provide the island with its own aircraft for emergency airlifts. The project was abandoned in 2012 but has now reemerged through collaboration with a private company that enjoys the support of a concerned local community but faces competition. Not in the air, but at sea.
The Velentzeio Foundation does not mention what the current mayor of Paros, Kostas Bizas, makes clear in its protest statement regarding the underuse of its helicopter. In a letter to the Ministry of Health, Bizas states that “in the past month, the private aircraft in question has been used for five medical evacuations from Paros, while fifteen others were conducted with different aircraft and forty-seven by sea.”
The main competitor in this “free market” of emergency patient transport in the Cyclades is a businessman who started with a single fishing boat and now operates five vessels. In a video, Dimitris Kerras explains how he “saw the gap” in services and stepped in.
As the payment orders published on the DIAVGEIA platform show, the amounts paid by the Greek public sector are significant. For instance, we are publishing payment orders from April–May 2024. The net amount paid was €276,121.47. In contrast, the private company operating the helicopter claims to have significantly lower fees. However, we have yet to see any payment orders confirming this claim.
Obviously, the amounts of money involved are substantial and are paid by the public sector. Every private entity that participates in this “market” with the state’s consent naturally wants to claim its share. In this context, the private company is protesting through third parties about the limited number of missions it has been assigned. Complaints from local Paros organizations hint at preferential treatment for private maritime operators, which effectively sidelines the private company’s helicopter. Meanwhile, EKAV’s Coordination Center, which is “accused” of not assigning missions to the company, seems to “forget” that a helicopter operated by the Hellenic Air Force is located just a few miles from Paros on Syros. A telling example is the flight on the afternoon of June 10, as shown on flight radar.
The result?
In general, island residents — not just those on Paros — do not seem likely to feel secure, even with the introduction of “private initiative” in patient and emergency transport operations. Instead of fulfilling its basic obligations to its citizens, who generously fund the state, there is an inexplicable eagerness to hand over air ambulance services to private companies. Early indications suggest that the plan will not work unless the state enforces the rules. So far, this does not appear to be part of the government’s intentions. Given what is happening on the “cosmopolitan” island of Paros, it’s easy to imagine the situation in the so-called “unreachable” or remote islands.
