Air medical services is a comprehensive term covering the use of air transportation, aeroplane or helicopter, to move patients to and from healthcare facilities and accident scenes. Personnel provide comprehensive prehospital and emergency and critical care to all types of patients during aeromedical evacuation or rescue operations aboard helicopter and propeller aircraft or jet aircraft.
The use of air transport to provide medical evacuation on the battlefield dates to World War I, but its role was expanded dramatically during the Korean and Vietnam wars. Later on, aircraft began to be used for the civilian emergency medical services. Helicopters can bring specialist care to the scene and transport patients to specialist hospitals, especially for major trauma cases. Fixed-wing aircraft are used for long-distance transport.