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Celebrating a legacy of innovation and industry firsts, from developing bespoke medical kits to founding the first global response center for aviation. We're committed to pioneering solutions and delivering excellence for every journey.

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ABOUT MEDAIRE

EXPERT CARE, EVERYWHERE.

MedAire is a global aviation and maritime medical, security and operational support company. Since 1985, MedAire has helped airlines, business aviation operators, flight crews and yacht operators prepare for and respond to medical and security risks wherever they operate.

How the model works Read the founding story

WHAT MEDAIRE DOES

MEDAIRE CONNECTS THE CAPABILITIES AN OPERATION NEEDS BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER AN EVENT.

Remote risk is not solved by a phone number, a course or a medical kit alone. MedAire brings these capabilities together so the people on scene can prepare, communicate and act with expert support.

Medical assistance

MedLink connects aviation and maritime clients with medical professionals for real-time guidance during illness or injury.

Explore medical assistance

Security intelligence and assistance

Security specialists help clients understand changing conditions and respond when risk affects people or operations.

Explore security expertise

Training

Aviation- and maritime-specific education helps crews assess a situation, use equipment and communicate clearly under pressure.

Explore training options

Medical kits and equipment

Purpose-built equipment supports the people responding on scene and the experts guiding them remotely.

Explore kits and equipment

Crisis response

Security teams support planning and response when an event affects people, itineraries or operations.

Explore crisis response

THE OPERATING MODEL

PREPARATION AND RESPONSE WORK BETTER WHEN THEY ARE DESIGNED TOGETHER.

The model follows an operation through the full risk cycle. Each stage informs the next, and experience from real events can strengthen future readiness.

Meet the expertise behind the model
  1. 01
    BEFORE AN OPERATION

    Prepare

    Training, kits, protocols and planning help crews get ready to act.

  2. 02
    AS CONDITIONS CHANGE

    Monitor

    Medical and security information supports awareness and decisions.

  3. 03
    WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS

    Respond

    Specialists provide real-time guidance within the operational context.

  4. 04
    UNTIL THE CASE IS RESOLVED

    Follow through

    Teams help coordinate next steps and maintain continuity.

Joan Sullivan Garrett working as an emergency-room nurse in Arizona
Joan Sullivan Garrett working as an emergency-room nurse in Arizona

THE FOUNDING STORY

A FLIGHT NURSE TURNED A FAILURE IN REMOTE MEDICAL RESPONSE INTO A NEW OPERATING MODEL.

In 1984, Joan Sullivan Garrett responded to a fatal accident in a remote area of Arizona. The experience made a systemic problem clear: people far from traditional care needed better preparation, the right equipment and access to expert medical guidance.

Joan founded MedAire in 1985 around that integrated idea. Her approach connected three elements that were often treated separately: environment-specific training, fit-for-purpose medical kits and remote medical expertise.

Prepare the people on scene. Equip them for the environment. Connect them with expertise when distance matters.

Founding narrative is paraphrased from Joan Sullivan Garrett’s published account and requires final content-owner approval before publication.

WHAT MEDAIRE HAS ADVANCED

INNOVATION IS HOW MORE USEFUL INFORMATION REACHES THE NEXT DECISION.

MedAire’s innovation story is not a list of devices. It is the continuing effort to give responders and MedAire specialists better tools, clearer context and a stronger connection to one another, then extend that model across more kinds of operational risk.

01 TOOLS + STANDARDS

PUT CAPABLE EQUIPMENT IN THE HANDS OF THE RESPONDER.

MedAire introduced medical kits for non-medical responders in 1987. A decade later, founder Joan Sullivan Garrett testified before Congress in support of AEDs and advanced medical kits aboard commercial aircraft. The work addressed both sides of readiness: what crews had available and what the industry considered essential.

Explore the complete 40-year timeline
An early MedAire medical kit with diagnostic equipment and supplies
Early MedAire medical kit
The United States Capitol, representing Joan Sullivan Garrett’s 1997 congressional testimony
Joan Sullivan Garrett testified before Congress in 1997
A responder using MedAire’s Digital Assessment Kit with a passenger aboard an aircraft
Digital Assessment Kit in use aboard an aircraft
MedAire in-flight application demonstrating connected support
Connected tools added visual and clinical context to remote consultation

02 VISUAL + CLINICAL CONTEXT

GIVE REMOTE CLINICIANS A CLEARER PICTURE.

Video consultation added visual context where voice alone had limits. The Digital Assessment Kit combines medical-grade devices with MedAire’s Aviation App so crew can capture and deliver cleaner clinical data to MedLink.

Explore the Digital Assessment Kit

03 CONTINUOUS DATA

MOVE FROM INDIVIDUAL READINGS TO A CONTINUOUS VIEW.

VitalStream provides continuous, real-time monitoring of vital signs and can transmit live data to MedAire doctors. It gives the remote medical team a richer stream of information while care is in progress.

Explore VitalStream
LIVE VITAL-SIGN DATA VitalStream wearable sensor and real-time monitoring display

The historical moments above are selective and do not replace MedAire’s published anniversary chronology.

See all 40 years

INDUSTRIES

MEDAIRE SUPPORTS PEOPLE OPERATING IN THE AIR AND AT SEA.

Commercial airlines, business aviation operators and yacht teams face different environments, responsibilities and routes to care. MedAire applies one connected model to the realities of each.

EXPERTISE AND PEOPLE

MEDAIRE’S SUPPORT REMAINS HUMAN-LED.

Technology carries information. People interpret it, account for the operating environment and help clients decide what to do next.

Security specialists reviewing a digital risk map
Security specialists reviewing a digital risk map
[[fnf:people_medical_count]]+medical professionals across International SOS

Medical professionals

Doctors, nurses and paramedics provide remote guidance during illness or injury.

[[fnf:people_security_count]]+security professionals across International SOS

Security specialists

Analysts and assistance teams help clients understand and respond to safety and security risk.

[[fnf:employee_total]]employees across International SOS

Education, equipment and logistics specialists

Teams turn experience into practical readiness and coordinated follow-through.

Medical expertise Security expertise

PART OF INTERNATIONAL SOS

GLOBAL REACH, SPECIALIZED FOR AVIATION AND MARITIME.

MedAire is part of the International SOS group of companies. This network connects MedAire clients with medical, security, assistance and crisis-response capabilities around the world, including GoCrisis response resources.

Loading capability locations.

ABOUT MEDAIRE

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Direct answers to common questions about MedAire.

Company

What does MedAire actually do?

MedAire provides medical, security and operational support for aviation and maritime organizations. Since 1985, MedAire has helped operators prepare for and respond to risks when traditional resources may be far away.

How can MedAire help us prepare before something happens?

MedAire supports preparation through training, medical kits and equipment, planning and risk information. If an event occurs, medical and security specialists can provide assistance and help coordinate next steps.

When would a crew call MedLink?

A crew can contact MedLink when an illness or injury occurs in flight or at sea and they need medical guidance or help coordinating next steps. MedLink is available 24/7.

Does MedAire only work with airlines?

No. MedAire supports commercial airlines and cargo operators, business aviation flight departments, charter and management companies, and yacht operators. Its services are designed around the needs of people working and traveling in the air and at sea.

What led Joan Sullivan Garrett to start MedAire?

In 1984, flight nurse Joan Sullivan Garrett responded to a remote accident in Arizona involving a child who did not survive. The experience led her to create a company focused on making emergency medical knowledge and support available far from traditional care. MedAire was incorporated in 1985.

Where does International SOS fit?

MedAire is part of the International SOS group of companies. MedAire clients benefit from access to the group's global medical, security and assistance network while receiving solutions specialized for aviation and maritime operations.