Life Flight International Inc. has made the Canadian Rockies International Airport (YXC) its new home base, as it continues its mission to transport injured and sick Canadian travellers back home.
The international medical transport company was formerly based out of Vancouver, but officially moved to YXC, located just north of Cranbrook, on Jan. 28. The company incurred $8,000 to $10,000 in repositioning fees in Vancouver, and moving its home base to the East Kootenay cut costs significantly for clients.
“It’s going to be a big step for our company. Generally, there’s an economic benefit. What we pay our staff, that money stays in the community and they buy stuff and support other businesses. We support the aviation companies that are there and they pay their airport taxes, they employ people,” said company owner Chris Connor.
The company has had a presence in the Cranbrook area since 2021, but the move makes the local airport its operational base. It’ll continue to run flights from Vancouver as well, but the business won’t be headquartered in that location.
The company flies around the world and transports travellers who require medical assistance back to Canada for treatment. It aids travellers who have suffered injuries and heart attacks, and pregnant women who have given birth while abroad. International flights are paid for by travel insurance, and the company does not typically move patients within B.C. unless a client pays for the service privately.
“We are the only one in west coast Canada that does neo-natal and infant transfers,” Connor explained.
Life Flight has 11 part-time local medical staff who fly aboard on its flights, including nurses, doctors, paramedics and respiratory therapists. Connor said they’re still in the process of hiring medical personnel, to grow the team to 25 staff members. They’re searching for staff with medical backgrounds who live within an hour drive of the YXC airport.
Life Flight has two planes — the Cheyenne 400 and Lear 36 — stationed at a hangar at YXC. Connor said the Cheyenne can touch down at airports with a smaller runway, while the Lear is better suited to long-range flights.
“The Lear 36 has a 3,000 nautical mile range. We can go directly from Puerto Vallarta to Vancouver with no stops,” said Connor.
Life Flight is the oldest air ambulance company in Canada. Connor’s mother, a critical care nurse at the Royal Jubilee Hospital, founded the company in 1990. Connor and his wife took over the business in 2017.
To apply for a job with Life Flight, visit the website www.internationalsos.com/careers.