Air Ambulances are aircrafts which can be used to provide medical assistance, to people who are away from traditional health care units, and where medical aid is not accessible. These aircrafts also help in providing assistance to critically ill patients, who may need to be shifted to larger medical facilities. Ventilators, Medicines, and ECG unit, stretchers etc are common equipment which needs to be equipped in Air ambulance.

Concept of air ambulances originated right after Wright brothers demonstrated first powered flight. Air ambulances originated in military organizations. In early 1914-1918, air ambulances were tested, primarily for military purposes. Formally, in 1928, Royal Flying Doctor Services was started. This air ambulance was set up for servicing Australian Outbreak. This organization continues till today. Such air ambulances served an extremely important purpose, as they provided proper medical assistance to people living in remote areas. First African air ambulance was set up by Marie Marvingt in Morocco. Aircrafts used for these ambulances were not very modern and were rather primitive. The services did not generate much confidence amongst people, though experiments continued.

In 1936, during Spanish Civil War, wounded people were sent to Nazi Germany using air ambulances. Saskatchewan government in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada started an air ambulance service in 1946. This service is still in operation. First FAA certified air ambulance service was started in 1947 by J. Walter Schaefer of Schaefer Ambulance Service in Los Angeles, California. U.S. air forces used air ambulances for air lifting soldiers in Korean War, from 1950 to 1953.

These air ambulances transport wounded soldiers, after they got initial treatment, to battle ships, safe places, where other advance medical treatment was available. Air ambulance for purely civilian purposes was started on Nov. 1, 1970, in Germany. Christoph 1 helicopter was inducted for this air ambulance service and was attached to the Hospital of Harlaching, Munich, Germany. Popularity and usefulness of this service ensured that more helicopters were inducted and service expanded first in Germany and then it reached USA.

Using a single Alouette III helicopter, based at St. Anthony Central Hospital in Denver, Colorado, Flight For Life began its operations in 1977.This was the first air ambulance service in USA for civilians, operated solely using helicopters. It was affiliated to a hospital. Now, military aircrafts are used as air ambulances for sending soldiers to hospitals from battle fields.

Air ambulances were started for soldiers, but when their usefulness for civilians was recognized, civilian programs also started. Today there are numerous air services which transport patients all over the world to hospitals and lives are saved. Various aircrafts like helicopters, military airplanes are used for such services depending on the need and availability. Historically, what began as primarily war service has now been adopted for peace time initiatives.

During the 1990's number of Air ambulance crash cases were recorded. And they kept on increasing till 2005. But Now government has taken necessary steps to improve the service and increase the security requirements for Air ambulance.