posted November 14, 2023

Based in New Braunfels, the fixed wing aircraft will provide added support to AirLIFE in Uvalde

UVALDE, TX, Nov. 14, 2023 – With a growing need to transport patients over longer distances and in a wider variety of weather conditions, Air Methods, the leading air medical provider in the United States, is opening a fixed wing base—AirLift 10 Texas—this week in New Braunfels that will support the entire state and communities already served by AirLift Texas bases and AirLIFE in Uvalde.

“This is very exciting for Uvalde and neighboring communities as we’re seeing more and more patients needing to be transported to higher levels of care in cities such as Houston or Dallas,” said AirLift 5 Area Manager/Account Executive David Lopez. “While we do our best to transport them with our helicopter, having this asset will allow us to transport them in half the time while keeping the helicopter here to continue responding local emergent calls. Likewise, it will allow us to transport patients in weather conditions that normally our helicopter cannot.”

Last week, Lopez and the AirLIFE Uvalde team were joined by local first responders and hospital partners as they got a firsthand look at the Beechcraft King Air B200 airplane before it goes into service on Nov. 15.

“We’re very grateful to have the support of our sister bases across the AirLift Texas program, and now a fixed wing base as well,” said AirLIFE Uvalde Clinical Base Lead Joel Ramirez. “The people of Uvalde and neighboring communities greatly depend on air medical services to get to Level I trauma centers during emergencies. While we certainly do our best to meet that need here, there are times where weather conditions can limit our ability to fly and this is where having the support of a fixed wing base will be lifesaving.”

Centrally located in New Braunfels, the Beechcraft King Air B200 aircraft will be available across the state but will primarily serve the communities already supported by AirLift Texas in Waco and Weslaco and its sister base, AirLIFE in Uvalde.

Much like the current bases in Texas, AirLift 10 will be able to respond to emergency medical calls for heart attacks, strokes, pediatric emergencies, and other traumatic incidents, as well as critical interfacility transports. The industry-leading clinicians will also carry blood on board the aircraft that they can administer in flight to patients suffering from significant blood loss and at risk for life-threatening hemorrhagic shock.

Uvalde residents can rest easy knowing that AirLIFE in Uvalde and AirLift Texas provide exceptional critical care while Air Methods makes sure it is affordable. They are in-network with most major health insurance providers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare, and more. In addition, their patient advocacy program works with all patients, regardless of insurance, to ensure affordability.