Air Evac Lifeteam Celebrates 40 Years Serving Rural America
8.14.2025
The nation’s largest air ambulance provider reflects on its roots, growth and unwavering mission to deliver emergency care where it’s needed most.
In 1985, when a car crash left a rural Missouri family waiting nearly an hour for help, a group of local healthcare professionals knew something had to change.
That moment led to the creation of Air Evac Lifeteam (AEL), a single helicopter and a bold promise: to bring critical care to those who couldn’t afford to wait.
Today, Air Evac Lifeteam is part of Global Medical Response (GMR), the nation’s largest integrated air and ground medical services provider. AEL operates more than 150 helicopter bases across 18 states and remains the country’s leading provider of helicopter air ambulance services.
“This anniversary isn’t about looking back,” said Tony Bonham, vice president and air chief operating officer for AEL. “It’s about moving forward with urgency and compassion. We owe it to the people we serve, and the ones we haven’t met yet.”
Forty Years of Answering the Call
AEL was the first to center its mission around medically isolated patients, placing aircraft not at city hospitals, but in the heart of the communities that needed them most.
Today, more than 90% of AEL’s flights originate in areas where patients face long travel times and limited access to trauma care. Its crews fill that critical gap, bringing hospital-level expertise directly to the scene, often when seconds matter most.
Over four decades, the organization has:
Recent Milestones Reflect a Legacy of Excellence
Air Evac Lifeteam continues to invest in people, technology and operations to meet future needs while honoring its founding mission.
Recent achievements include:
In communities far from trauma centers, Air Evac Lifeteam has become more than an air ambulance service. It’s a lifeline.
Each mission reflects a partnership with EMS, hospital teams, fire departments and families. In many communities, Air Evac crews are neighbors, volunteers and friends—not just responders. Their presence represents reassurance in the face of uncertainty and support when it matters most.
“In places where help used to be an hour away, Air Evac Lifeteam makes it minutes,” said Bonham. “We bring an ICU to a pasture, a driveway, a ballfield, because that’s where our patients are.”
Key community impacts include:
For nearly 40 years, Air Evac Lifeteam’s membership program has helped shield families from the high costs of air medical care. What began as a local initiative in Missouri grew to a nationwide reach across 15 states.
Today, Air Evac is a participating provider within the AirMedCare Network (AMCN), America’s largest aerial ambulance membership alliance. For a modest annual fee, members pay no out-of-pocket costs only when flown by Air Evac or any participating AMCN provider, making lifesaving care accessible and affordable.
Looking Ahead: A Legacy That Lifts Others
As Air Evac Lifeteam celebrates 40 years of service, the milestone is more than history. It’s a promise—a promise to continue innovating, training and flying so that no one is out of reach when the unthinkable happens.
Backed by the strength and reach of Global Medical Response, Air Evac Lifeteam is positioned to grow even stronger, ensuring that its commitment to quality, safety and access endures well into the future. Air Evac isn’t resting on its legacy. It’s building on it.
“Our work has always been about people,” said Bonham. “Every patient. Every call. Every community. This anniversary reminds us why we started, and why we’ll keep going.”
That moment led to the creation of Air Evac Lifeteam (AEL), a single helicopter and a bold promise: to bring critical care to those who couldn’t afford to wait.
Today, Air Evac Lifeteam is part of Global Medical Response (GMR), the nation’s largest integrated air and ground medical services provider. AEL operates more than 150 helicopter bases across 18 states and remains the country’s leading provider of helicopter air ambulance services.
“This anniversary isn’t about looking back,” said Tony Bonham, vice president and air chief operating officer for AEL. “It’s about moving forward with urgency and compassion. We owe it to the people we serve, and the ones we haven’t met yet.”
Forty Years of Answering the Call
AEL was the first to center its mission around medically isolated patients, placing aircraft not at city hospitals, but in the heart of the communities that needed them most.
Today, more than 90% of AEL’s flights originate in areas where patients face long travel times and limited access to trauma care. Its crews fill that critical gap, bringing hospital-level expertise directly to the scene, often when seconds matter most.
Over four decades, the organization has:
- Responded to hundreds of thousands of emergencies
- Partnered with over 1,000 hospitals and 700 EMS agencies
- Introduced advanced safety technologies, including night vision goggles and upgraded avionics across the fleet
Recent Milestones Reflect a Legacy of Excellence
Air Evac Lifeteam continues to invest in people, technology and operations to meet future needs while honoring its founding mission.
Recent achievements include:
- FAA Diamond Maintenance Award, the highest safety recognition for aviation operators
- Strategic growth in Kentucky, Oklahoma and other areas to reduce response times
- National honors, including the Stars of Life Award for heroic crew actions
- Fleet-wide avionics upgrades for enhanced safety in low-visibility and nighttime conditions
- Employee milestones, including the company’s first pilot to complete more than 4,000 patient missions
In communities far from trauma centers, Air Evac Lifeteam has become more than an air ambulance service. It’s a lifeline.
Each mission reflects a partnership with EMS, hospital teams, fire departments and families. In many communities, Air Evac crews are neighbors, volunteers and friends—not just responders. Their presence represents reassurance in the face of uncertainty and support when it matters most.
“In places where help used to be an hour away, Air Evac Lifeteam makes it minutes,” said Bonham. “We bring an ICU to a pasture, a driveway, a ballfield, because that’s where our patients are.”
Key community impacts include:
- Thousands of lives reached each year during critical emergencies and medical transfers
- Support for rural hospitals by connecting patients to higher-level care
- Local training and outreach for EMS and first responders
For nearly 40 years, Air Evac Lifeteam’s membership program has helped shield families from the high costs of air medical care. What began as a local initiative in Missouri grew to a nationwide reach across 15 states.
Today, Air Evac is a participating provider within the AirMedCare Network (AMCN), America’s largest aerial ambulance membership alliance. For a modest annual fee, members pay no out-of-pocket costs only when flown by Air Evac or any participating AMCN provider, making lifesaving care accessible and affordable.
Looking Ahead: A Legacy That Lifts Others
As Air Evac Lifeteam celebrates 40 years of service, the milestone is more than history. It’s a promise—a promise to continue innovating, training and flying so that no one is out of reach when the unthinkable happens.
Backed by the strength and reach of Global Medical Response, Air Evac Lifeteam is positioned to grow even stronger, ensuring that its commitment to quality, safety and access endures well into the future. Air Evac isn’t resting on its legacy. It’s building on it.
“Our work has always been about people,” said Bonham. “Every patient. Every call. Every community. This anniversary reminds us why we started, and why we’ll keep going.”
