Phoenix Air medical evac plane files flight plan to Dakar, Senegal

[blacknail]

Re: Phoenix Air medical evac plane files flight plan to Dakar, Senegal

The route to London on the map I attached doesn't look like a route that starts in West Africa. I clicked on several planes flying that route and found destinations in Nigeria, Cameroon, South Africa but all the West Africa flights seem to go up the coast. Maybe the plane came from West Africa, we just don't know, maybe there was a medical emergency where someone had to be evacuated to London and no other air ambulance was willing to go. Certainly the route does leave open the possibility that this patient came from somewhere other than West Africa, although it doesn't prove or disprove that.

 

[ming]

Re: Phoenix Air medical evac plane files flight plan to Dakar, Senegal

There's certainly been nothing in the news here that I have found. I'm wondering if the UK govt is being very sneaky here
Good sleuthing Blacknail!

 

[nola_mnr]

Re: Phoenix Air medical evac plane files flight plan to Dakar, Senegal

I haven't been able to find anything new on this particular flight either. It could have been an evacuation unrelated to the ebola epidemic or it could have been something that just hasn't been made public yet.

Here is an interesting article discussing Phoenix Air and the world's limited capabilities to evacuate ebola patients:

http://www.easybranches.eu/the-world-relies-on-this-one-company-to-fly-ebola-patients-1759392/

And here is a list from NPR of the known evacuations through 9 Oct 2014:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/goatsandso...es-who-are-they-whered-they-go-howd-they-fare

 

[ming]

Re: Phoenix Air medical evac plane files flight plan to Dakar, Senegal

Maybe was something else then. Is amazing what you can find out if you dig isn't it! :tiphat:

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Phoenix Air medical evac plane files flight plan to Dakar, Senegal

The plane would not have picked up an Ebola patient in Dakar as Senegal has very stick policy presently:

"The humanitarian corridor planned in Senegal to allow humanitarian organizations to "assist" the countries of the subregion affected by Ebola outbreak will not take into account the transfer of people with the disease, said the Senegalese Minister of Health and Social Action, Awa Marie Colle Seck Wednesday in Dakar.

"Patients are excluded from the protocol that we will have with the agencies. International patients will be taken care directly by countries where there are all means" of their treatment, she has told a conference press."

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=227548

Probably not related but there was a case this week involving the chief of the Cuban doctor's mission in Guinea who died of malaria Sunday according to the Cuban Government. He became ill on October 22 and died on the 26.

According to Guineenews, efforts were made to evacuate him.

"At first, the Guinean authorities in conjunction with the Cuban diplomatic mission attempted evacuation of the patient to Dakar. But the Senegalese authorities have asked for clarification on the nature of the disease.

Immediately, the French NGO MSF has confirmed that the Cuban doctor showed no sign of Ebola.

"Guinean doctors and Cubans have tried everything to save him but he finally passed away at 18 hours 30. His body was immediately brought to the morgue at the Ignace Deen hospital."

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=229531

 

[blacknail]

Re: Phoenix Air medical evac plane files flight plan to Dakar, Senegal

I'm thinking that whoever it is was flown to London as the plane wouldn't have gone there empty which rules out the Cuban doctor who was still in West Africa. I'm guessing that the plane refueled and maybe rested in Dakar and then flew somewhere else to pick someone up. The flight path into London does not appear to be from West Africa. Maybe they weren't allowed to fly through Mauritania with the patient so they had to take a different route. Maybe they weren't able to refuel at the airport they landed at due to supply shortages and had to refuel in Lagos. More questions than answers at this point.

 

[blacknail]

Re: Phoenix Air medical evac plane files flight plan to Dakar, Senegal

The plane (N163PA) is back on its way to Dakar again today. Wonder where it is going this time? It is too bad that FlightRadar24's coverage is so spotty there, I don't think it costs too much to hook one of the ADS-B receivers up.

Edit: Actually they supply the equipment free if you can install it and maintain an always-on Internet connection. http://www.flightradar24.com/free-ads-b-equipment

 

[MHSC]

Re: Phoenix Air medical evac plane files flight plan to Dakar, Senegal

Could it be that they are transporting high level staff to Dakar, not necessarily from Dakar?

 

[blacknail]

Re: Phoenix Air medical evac plane files flight plan to Dakar, Senegal

I guess anything is possible, but it is unlikely that high level staff would fly out of Cartersville Georgia on a jet that is configured as an ambulance, as nice as I am sure the interior is, if you are spending 1/4 mill on a flight I'm sure you'd want something nicer!

 

[Lizw]

Re: Phoenix Air medical evac plane files flight plan to Dakar, Senegal

I guess anything is possible, but it is unlikely that high level staff would fly out of Cartersville Georgia on a jet that is configured as an ambulance, as nice as I am sure the interior if you are spending 1/4 mill on a flight I'm sure you'd want something nicer!

I'm surprised to hear that any kind of jet is flying into or out of Cartersville. I used to live there, and while it has grown since then, it still does not have anything like the kind of airport one would want to be flying jets out of. The other medical flights for Atlanta went through Dobbins Air Force base, not Cartersville.

ETA--well, this is interesting. Seems Phoenix Air is the service manager for that airport, and it is indeed somewhat upgraded from when I lived there. Two runways now, one a mile long, jet fuel available, still only VOR though, no tower. Not sure what to make of all that. Phoenix Air operates out of a corner of the regional airport near where I am now, but they seem to taken over management of Cartersville's city-owned airport altogether. And their charters include other types of aircraft, not just ambulances. They're flying Learjets and also Gulfstream III's, the top of the line in private jets

 

[ming]

Re: Phoenix Air medical evac plane files flight plan to Dakar, Senegal

It's very interesting and I do love a good mystery..

 

[blacknail]

Re: Phoenix Air medical evac plane files flight plan to Dakar, Senegal

The flight on October 24th is still a mystery, the flight flew out of Africa well East of today's flight from Sierra Leone which would lead one to believe that flight didn't originate in West Africa and there has been no information out of London on it.

 

[ming]

Re: Phoenix Air medical evac plane files flight plan to Dakar, Senegal

It can't be ebola then because somebody would have leaked it, it would all over fb or twitter.

 

[nola_mnr]

Re: Phoenix Air medical evac plane files flight plan to Dakar, Senegal

I have a theory on this one. Perhaps they were planning to evacuate someone but after the plane was already en route, the patient either died or became too unstable to transport.

 

[blacknail]

Re: Phoenix Air medical evac plane files flight plan to Dakar, Senegal

Good theories ming & nola_mnr. I think that someone with Ebola was actually evacuated to London, maybe they died en route, but I think that would have made the news. I think they would have headed home by the quickest route had the patient died, and I think it was a confirmed Ebola patient as this plane costs so much more than a normal Medevac flight that no one would use it unless they test positive for Ebola. Here is what we know:

-The plane's flight path to London on October 24 didn't seem to originate in West Africa (although it is possible that it did originate there, West African flights tend to fly up the coast, see attachment)

-No other West African countries had reported outbreaks (Senegal and Nigeria and have been declared Ebola free, Mali only confirmed their first case on October 23, so there wasn't time for further transmission)

-There have been no further Marburg cases in Uganda

-There is an ongoing Ebola outbreak in Congo and, and the Gulfstream 3 has a range of 4200 miles putting Mbandaka in range of London

Based on the flight track, anything is possible, however it is quite possible that an Ebola patient was evacuated from Congo and is currently undergoing treatment at Royal Free Hospital in London.

 

[alert]

Re: Phoenix Air medical evac plane files flight plan to Dakar, Senegal

What would be the timing on that one?

DRC is at about 21 days since the last Ebola patient was isolated. Could another case have had contact with even the last case and only taken ill now?

The outbreak in DRC hardly qualifies as ongoing.

 

[blacknail]

Phoenix Air flight to Dakar, Senegal October 23-25

Phoenix Air flight to Dakar, Senegal October 23-25

What would be the timing on that one?

DRC is at about 21 days since the last Ebola patient was isolated. Could another case have had contact with even the last case and only taken ill now?

The outbreak in DRC hardly qualifies as ongoing.

It's true, there doesn't really seem to be a good explanation for this flight, it also doesn't fit with the ECDC's latest update that shows the patient who was evacuated to Paris following the mission of October 23-25:

<table class="ms-rteTable-1" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr class="ms-rteTableHeaderRow-1"><th class="ms-rteTableHeaderEvenCol-1" rowspan="1" colspan="1"><br><strong>Date of<span>​</span><span>​</span> evacuation</strong></th>
<th class="ms-rteTableHeaderOddCol-1" rowspan="1" colspan="1"><div><strong>Evacuated from</strong></div></th>
<th class="ms-rteTableHeaderEvenCol-1" rowspan="1" colspan="1"><div><strong>Evacuated to</strong></div></th>
<th class="ms-rteTableHeaderOddCol-1" rowspan="1" colspan="1"><div><strong>Profession</strong></div></th>
<th class="ms-rteTableHeaderEvenCol-1" rowspan="1" colspan="1"><div><strong>Status</strong></div></th>
<th class="ms-rteTableHeaderOddCol-1" rowspan="1" colspan="1"><div><strong>Confirmed</strong></div></th>
<th class="ms-rteTableHeaderEvenCol-1" rowspan="1" colspan="1"><div><strong>Citizenship</strong></div></th></tr>
<tr class="ms-rteTableOddRow-1"><td width="96" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>02 August 2014 </div></td>
<td width="94" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Liberia </div></td>
<td width="123" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Atlanta (USA) </div></td>
<td width="104" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Healthcare worker </div></td>
<td width="57" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Discharged </div></td>
<td width="66" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Yes </div></td>
<td width="76" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>USA </div></td></tr>
<tr class="ms-rteTableEvenRow-1"><td width="96" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>05 August 2014 </div></td>
<td width="94" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Liberia </div></td>
<td width="123" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Atlanta (USA) </div></td>
<td width="104" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Healthcare worker </div></td>
<td width="57" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Discharged </div></td>
<td width="66" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Yes </div></td>
<td width="76" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>USA </div></td></tr>
<tr class="ms-rteTableOddRow-1"><td width="96" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>06 August 2014 </div></td>
<td width="94" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Liberia </div></td>
<td width="123" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Madrid (Spain) </div></td>
<td width="104" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Healthcare worker </div></td>
<td width="57" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Death </div></td>
<td width="66" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Yes </div></td>
<td width="76" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Spain </div></td></tr>
<tr class="ms-rteTableEvenRow-1"><td width="96" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>24 August 2014 </div></td>
<td width="94" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Sierra Leone </div></td>
<td width="123" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>London (United Kingdom) </div></td>
<td width="104" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Healthcare worker </div></td>
<td width="57" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Discharged </div></td>
<td width="66" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Yes </div></td>
<td width="76" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>UK </div></td></tr>
<tr class="ms-rteTableOddRow-1"><td width="96" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>27 August 2014 </div></td>
<td width="94" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Sierra Leone </div></td>
<td width="123" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Hamburg (Germany) </div></td>
<td width="104" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Epidemiologist </div></td>
<td width="57" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Recovered </div></td>
<td width="66" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Yes </div></td>
<td width="76" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Senegal </div></td></tr>
<tr class="ms-rteTableEvenRow-1"><td width="96" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>04 September 2014 </div></td>
<td width="94" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Monrovia, Liberia </div></td>
<td width="123" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Omaha (USA) </div></td>
<td width="104" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Physician (obstetrician) </div></td>
<td width="57" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Discharged </div></td>
<td width="66" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Yes </div></td>
<td width="76" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>USA </div></td></tr>
<tr class="ms-rteTableOddRow-1"><td width="96" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>09 September 2014 </div></td>
<td width="94" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Kenema, Sierra Leone </div></td>
<td width="123" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Atlanta (USA) </div></td>
<td width="104" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Physician </div></td>
<td width="57" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Discharged </div></td>
<td width="66" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Yes </div></td>
<td width="76" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>USA </div></td></tr>
<tr class="ms-rteTableEvenRow-1"><td width="96" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>14 September 2014 </div></td>
<td width="94" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Sierra Leone </div></td>
<td width="123" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Leiden (the Netherlands) </div></td>
<td width="104" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Healthcare worker </div></td>
<td width="57" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Discharged </div></td>
<td width="66" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>No </div></td>
<td width="76" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>the Netherlands </div></td></tr>
<tr class="ms-rteTableOddRow-1"><td width="96" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>14 September 2014 </div></td>
<td width="94" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Sierra Leone </div></td>
<td width="123" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Leiden (the Netherlands) </div></td>
<td width="104" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Healthcare worker </div></td>
<td width="57" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Discharged </div></td>
<td width="66" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>No </div></td>
<td width="76" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>the Netherlands </div></td></tr>
<tr class="ms-rteTableEvenRow-1"><td width="96" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>19 September 2014 </div></td>
<td width="94" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Liberia </div></td>
<td width="123" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Paris (France) </div></td>
<td width="104" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Healthcare worker </div></td>
<td width="57" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Discharged </div></td>
<td width="66" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Yes </div></td>
<td width="76" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>France </div></td></tr>
<tr class="ms-rteTableOddRow-1"><td width="96" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>22 September 2014 </div></td>
<td width="94" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Sierra Leone </div></td>
<td width="123" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Madrid (Spain) </div></td>
<td width="104" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Healthcare worker </div></td>
<td width="57" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Death </div></td>
<td width="66" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Yes </div></td>
<td width="76" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Spain </div></td></tr>
<tr class="ms-rteTableEvenRow-1"><td width="96" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>22 September 2014 </div></td>
<td width="94" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Sierra Leone </div></td>
<td width="123" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Lausanne (Switzerland) </div></td>
<td width="104" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Healthcare worker </div></td>
<td width="57" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Admitted</div></td>
<td width="66" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Unknown </div></td>
<td width="76" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Non-Swiss </div></td></tr>
<tr class="ms-rteTableOddRow-1"><td width="96" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>28 September 2014 </div></td>
<td width="94" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Sierra Leone </div></td>
<td width="123" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Maryland (USA) </div></td>
<td width="104" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Healthcare worker </div></td>
<td width="57" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Admitted</div></td>
<td width="66" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Unknown </div></td>
<td width="76" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>USA </div></td></tr>
<tr class="ms-rteTableEvenRow-1"><td width="96" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>02 October 2014 </div></td>
<td width="94" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Sierra Leone </div></td>
<td width="123" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Frankfurt (Germany) </div></td>
<td width="104" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Healthcare worker </div></td>
<td width="57" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Stable </div></td>
<td width="66" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Yes </div></td>
<td width="76" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Uganda </div></td></tr>
<tr class="ms-rteTableOddRow-1"><td width="96" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>02 October 2014</div></td>
<td width="94" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Liberia </div></td>
<td width="123" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Omaha (USA) </div></td>
<td width="104" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Cameraman </div></td>
<td width="57" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Discharged </div></td>
<td width="66" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Yes </div></td>
<td width="76" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>USA </div></td></tr>
<tr class="ms-rteTableEvenRow-1"><td width="96" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>06 October 2014</div></td>
<td width="94" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Sierra Leone </div></td>
<td width="123" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Oslo (Norway) </div></td>
<td width="104" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Healthcare worker </div></td>
<td width="57" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Discharged </div></td>
<td width="66" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Yes </div></td>
<td width="76" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Norway </div></td></tr>
<tr class="ms-rteTableOddRow-1"><td width="96" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>08 October 2014</div></td>
<td width="94" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Liberia </div></td>
<td width="123" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Leipzig (Germany) </div></td>
<td width="104" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Laboratory worker </div></td>
<td width="57" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Death </div></td>
<td width="66" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Yes </div></td>
<td width="76" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Sudan </div></td></tr>
<tr class="ms-rteTableEvenRow-1"><td width="96" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>01 November 2014</div></td>
<td width="94" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Sierra Leone</div></td>
<td width="123" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Paris (France)</div></td>
<td width="104" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>UN worker</div></td>
<td width="57" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Unknown</div></td>
<td width="66" class="ms-rteTableOddCol-1" valign="top"><div>Yes</div></td>
<td width="76" class="ms-rteTableEvenCol-1" valign="top"><div>Sierra Leone</div></td></tr></tbody></table>

 

[nola_mnr]

Re: Phoenix Air medical evac plane files flight plan to Dakar, Senegal

Here is an interesting article on the Phoenix Air contract:
http://www.ketv.com/news/iteam-ebola-jet-contract-cost-us-state-department-49-million/29738870

* The six month contract, started in August and is for $4.9 million
* The crew is on standby to evacuate American citizens working for the U.S. Government.
* A person not working for the U.S. Government most pay for the evacuation at an estimate cost of $200,000.
* Phoenix Air owns three jets outfitted with an Aeromedical Biological Containment Shelter, which was developed in 2006 with the CDC for the SARS epidemic.
* The U.S. military is developing containment pods that can carry 15 infected people at a time, which is expected to be available in January.

 

[nola_mnr]

Re: Phoenix Air medical evac plane files flight plan to Dakar, Senegal

Hat tip Ronaldo747

Germany is converting an airplane to provide evacuation capabilities for Ebola patients.

From Der Spiegel via Google Translate:
https://translate.google.com/transl...us-zum-ebola-jet-um-a-1003169.html&edit-text=

[...]
On behalf of the Federal government expert Lufthansa upgrade technology and doctors of the Robert-Koch-Insitituts the passenger jet for the first German Ebola to -Rettungsflieger. If all goes well, the jet should be according to SPIEGEL information extensively rebuilt by the end of November. Equipped with three so-called isolation cells for the transport of patients infected with the virus, he should then ensure the safety of German workers in Ebola areas.

The project Ebola-Jet was a well kept secret for weeks. The Foreign Office (AA) had decided in mid-September in the crisis management team to provide a special private German aircraft, since there are only two jets of a US company in the world for the transport of Ebola-infected persons in the disaster areas. Because of this gap, it was clear to everyone involved, Berlin had to make sure that begin soon in Liberia work a chain of survival for the German voluntary helpers.

Diplomats dubbed the project "Apollo 13"
[...]
In AA we knew about the difficulties. Therefore, the diplomats dubbed the project internally already "Apollo 13" - in reference to the lunar module, which had to be repaired in space.
[...]

###

Interestingly, Apollo space capsules also played roles in medical evacuations during prior Lassa and Ebola outbreaks according to Laurie Garrett's book, The Coming Plague.

 

[nola_mnr]

Re: Phoenix Air medical evac plane files flight plan to Dakar, Senegal

http://newsok.com/article/feed/765403

BERLIN (AP) ? The German government has unveiled what it says is the world's first dedicated medevac plane for Ebola patients.
[...]
The plane can only transport one patient at a time. Germany has said other nations will be able to use the plane, too.