CAAC Issues New Regulations on Aviation Medical Rescue Operations

Published: July 7, 2026  |  Category: Policy Updates

China's First Dedicated Medical Flight Regulation Sets a Unified Standard

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has officially issued the Provisions on the Administration of Aviation Medical Rescue Flight Operations — the country's first dedicated departmental regulation governing aviation medical rescue flights. The regulation takes effect on October 1, 2026, establishing a unified institutional framework across four dimensions: flight approval, aircraft standards, personnel qualifications, and operational norms — replacing the long-standing practice of managing medical flights under general aviation rules.

1. Green Channel Approval: "Fly First, File Later" for Emergencies

The regulation's most significant feature is a green channel for medical rescue flight approval. For life-threatening emergency transfers, operators may depart immediately upon presenting a medical necessity certificate issued by a medical institution, with flight plan filing completed within 24 hours after takeoff. The approval window for routine medical transfers has also been compressed from 72 hours to 24 hours. "Waiting for approval" will no longer be the primary bottleneck constraining urgent transfers.

2. Aircraft Airworthiness: A Clear Definition of Medical Configuration

For the first time, the regulation explicitly defines a "medically configured aircraft": one with permanently installed stretcher systems, medical power interfaces, oxygen supply units, and monitoring equipment anchor points must pass a supplementary medical-configuration airworthiness review. Aircraft used for critical care transport must additionally be equipped with uninterrupted power systems and backup oxygen, and cabin pressure altitude at cruise must not exceed the 8,000-foot equivalent. These quantified standards draw a clear boundary around the previously ambiguous concept of the "medical charter."

3. Personnel Qualifications: Certified Transfer Medical Teams

Under the new rules, medical personnel performing air medical transfer missions must complete aviation medicine training, pass the corresponding examination, and hold the relevant qualification certificate; pilots in command must complete dedicated medical rescue flight training. For advanced life-support transfers involving ECMO, the team must include at least one member with documented experience managing such equipment. The personnel qualification system is expected to end the era of uneven medical team capability that has long plagued the industry.

4. What This Means for the Coordination & Dispatch Industry

The regulation also clarifies the boundaries of responsibility along the aviation medical rescue chain: medical institutions are responsible for patient assessment and in-transit medical safety; aviation operators are responsible for flight safety; and coordination agencies are responsible for resource matching and process integration. Clearer responsibility boundaries are a major positive for professional coordination and dispatch providers — the industry will shift from crude competition over "who can find an aircraft" to professional competition over "who can run the process smoothly." Coordination agencies with standardized operating manuals, full-process documentation capability, and multi-party collaboration experience will gain greater room to grow.