Starting May 19, Virgin Atlantic flights are to be equipped with what the carrier claimed to be “the world’s smallest and lightest mobile ECG kit”.
The airline said the kits are being provided under a new partnership with CardioSecur,” a pioneering medical tech provider from Germany.
“The speed and sophistication of the system will provide the aircraft with critical feedback, detailing next medical steps, including whether a diversion is necessary or not,” the airline said, with “cardiovascular events” given as the most common cause of medical flight diversions.
“Our work with CardioSecur underpins our continued commitment to customer health, which will always be our top priority,” said Corneel Koster, Virgin’s chief customer and operations officer.
Virgin said it is the sole UK airline to operate with in-air ECG capability and in the early 2000’s was the world’s only airline to maintain an entire fleet with the service.
“Virgin Atlantic has long been a pioneer in the passenger health space”, the carrier said of itself, adding that its new partner “will provide its expertise through an app-based solution to address serious in-flight medical issues”.
“Our partnership will empower airlines to provide swift and accurate support in medical emergencies and make a significant impact on in-flight healthcare,” said Felix Brand, chief executive and founder of CardioSecur,
