Recently, there have been significant developments affecting air ambulance and medical escort providers’ ability to deliver services to travellers in Mexico requiring medical transportation. A number of providers—primarily North America–based operators without a permanent presence in Mexico—have encountered unexpected and onerous restrictions imposed by local airport authorities in several tourist destinations, including Cancún, Puerto Vallarta and Toluca, among others.
These measures have included detention of crew and equipment, as well as the imposition of substantial charges related to the “importation” of controlled medical substances and foreign medical equipment. In addition, providers have been subject to sudden, protracted approval processes, including detailed audits of equipment and medications, with considerable uncertainty regarding both timelines and outcomes.
These impediments appear to be applied inconsistently and do not appear to stem from a clearly articulated national regulatory framework issued by the Mexican civil aviation authority. At present, the legal and regulatory basis for these practices remains unclear, and questions have been raised as to whether they align with international civil aviation standards intended to facilitate humanitarian medical missions.
Impact on Aero-Medical Evacuations from Mexico
As a result, previously routine medical evacuations and repatriations have become subject to unpredictable delays and significantly increased costs. Some providers have already begun to avoid operating in these destinations, and there is concern that this may lead to a reduction in available service capacity and higher charges from the limited number of operators able to continue servicing these routes. Travellers and insurers from all countries are therefore likely to be affected.
EURAMI Task Force Mexico (ORATFM)
In response, the EURAMI Board has established a dedicated task force led by Heather Petrie of Airmedic (Canada) and Mike Vallee of Medway Air Ambulance (USA). The task force will collect operational experiences from providers and develop strategies to address these challenges both operationally and, where necessary, through political and regulatory engagement.