SkyCare provides specialist neonatal air ambulance services worldwide for newborn babies, premature infants and babies requiring neonatal intensive care during international medical transport. We coordinate the complete journey between hospitals, combining the appropriate aircraft, specialist neonatal clinicians, transport incubator and medical equipment with ground ambulances and direct clinical handovers.

Families may need us following an unexpected premature birth abroad, when an air ambulance for premature babies is required, when a newborn medical flight is needed for specialist treatment in another country, or when an international neonatal repatriation is being arranged by a hospital, insurer, assistance company or embassy. Every transfer is individually planned around the baby’s clinical condition and the requirements of the sending and receiving neonatal units.

International neonatal air ambulance, built around one baby

Neonatal transport is not simply an air ambulance journey. A safe transfer depends on maintaining continuity of neonatal care from the baby’s bedside at the departure hospital to the receiving cot at the destination hospital. Our coordination team brings the clinical and logistical elements together into one carefully managed transfer plan.

Depending on the baby’s condition, this can include a neonatal doctor, specialist neonatal nurse or other appropriately experienced clinician, together with a transport incubator, neonatal ventilator, oxygen, infusion pumps, continuous monitoring and emergency equipment.

Specialist neonatal clinical oversight

SkyCare’s clinical service is led by our Chief Medical Officer, Dr Lee Collier, with neonatal transfers supported by clinicians selected according to the baby’s individual requirements. Before travel, we obtain and review current medical information and liaise with the treating and receiving teams so that the transfer plan reflects the baby’s respiratory support, medication, feeding, temperature control and monitoring needs.

For hospitals and professional case managers, this provides a clear clinical pathway between facilities. For parents, it means there is one team coordinating the many moving parts of an international transfer and explaining what happens next.

Transport incubators and neonatal medical equipment

Equipment is selected for the individual case and may include a specialist transport incubator, neonatal ventilation, oxygen therapy, infusion pumps and continuous physiological monitoring. The objective is to maintain an appropriate neonatal care environment throughout the ground and air journey while minimising unnecessary handling and disruption.

Bedside-to-bedside neonatal repatriation worldwide

SkyCare can coordinate both urgent and planned neonatal transfers internationally. A typical mission can include medical review, liaison with the departure neonatal unit, confirmation and handover planning with the receiving hospital, specialist ground ambulances, air ambulance flight arrangements and final delivery directly to the receiving neonatal team.

We support transfers to and from the UK and between countries worldwide. This is particularly important for international families and private patients who may wish to move a baby to a specialist centre closer to home, or to another country for ongoing treatment.

Keeping parents and baby together

Having a premature or seriously ill baby far from home can be overwhelming. Wherever medically, operationally and safely possible, we aim to keep a parent close to their baby during the transfer. Our team explains the journey clearly, coordinates with both hospitals and considers practical details that matter to families, including the transport of expressed breast milk and appropriate comfort items where possible.

For private and HNWI families, we can also manage cases with the discretion and close coordination expected during sensitive international medical movements. Clinical safety remains the priority, while unnecessary exposure and logistical burden on the family are kept to a minimum.

For hospitals, insurers, assistance companies and embassies

SkyCare works directly with neonatal units, private hospitals, insurers, international assistance companies, embassies and other professional organisations arranging complex medical transfers. We can coordinate clinical information, transfer planning, aviation logistics, ground transport and communication between the relevant parties, providing a single operational point of contact for the mission.

Urgent and planned neonatal medical flights

Some neonatal transfers are time-sensitive; others require careful planning around clinical stability, receiving-bed availability, specialist crew and international flight permissions. We assess each case individually rather than promising a timetable before the clinical and operational requirements are understood.

To assess a neonatal air ambulance transfer, our team will usually need the baby’s current hospital and destination, recent medical information, respiratory or oxygen requirements, medications and details of the proposed receiving hospital. We can then advise on the appropriate medical team, equipment and transport plan.

Need to arrange a neonatal air ambulance? Send us the case details and request a confidential quotation

For patients of other ages and clinical requirements, see our international air ambulance services.