This route is most often flown for Indian families in the United States repatriating a parent after a stroke, cardiac event or ICU admission in India — and increasingly for patients travelling to US centres for specialised treatment.
Flight Time, Aircraft and Routing
Only ultra-long-range jets fly Delhi–New York non-stop, in around 15 to 16 hours. Most dedicated air ambulance missions use one or two technical stops — commonly in Western Europe, Iceland or Eastern Canada — bringing total travel time to 17 to 20 hours. Because of the duration, missions carry augmented flight crews and, where clinically indicated, two full medical teams working in rotation.
- Non-stop possible on ultra-long-range aircraft; one to two fuel stops on standard long-range jets
- New York arrival airports: Teterboro, JFK or Westchester depending on the receiving hospital
- Dual medical crew rostered for missions above 12 hours so the patient is never attended by a fatigued clinician
- Fuel-stop airports selected for medical diversion capability, not just fuel price
Medical Care On Board
Ultra-long-haul transfer medicine is a discipline of margins: oxygen is planned for the full mission plus diversion reserve, infusion volumes and battery endurance are calculated sector by sector, and the patient is reassessed at every technical stop. The cabin is configured as a full ICU with ventilator, monitoring, infusion pumps, defibrillator and complete drug kit. Pressurisation is managed to a low cabin altitude for patients sensitive to hypoxia.
Dedicated Jet vs Commercial Stretcher
For stable patients, a stretcher on a scheduled non-stop Delhi–New York airline service with our medical escort team is a far more economical option, and avoids fuel stops entirely. Goodmans Rescue handles the airline MEDIF clearance, stretcher fitment and escort staffing. Unstable, ventilated or time-critical patients travel by dedicated air ambulance.
Indicative Cost
A dedicated air ambulance from Delhi to New York is indicatively in the range of ₹1.5 to ₹2.5 crore depending on aircraft, routing and medical configuration. A commercial stretcher transfer with escorts is indicatively ₹18 to ₹30 lakh. A written quotation follows the medical assessment.
How the Transfer is Arranged
- Send the patient's medical summary on WhatsApp — physician review within the hour, at any hour
- Fitness-to-fly assessment for ultra-long-haul, option recommendation and firm quotation
- US hospital acceptance, visas, overflight permits and ground ambulances coordinated end to end
- Bedside-to-bedside execution with clinical handover documentation for the receiving US team
Planning an India–USA patient transfer? WhatsApp the medical summary now and a Goodmans Rescue physician will map the safest, most economical route for your patient.
A Note from Dr. Satish Bhardwaj
We have done more than 20 transfers to US alone, Stretcher case transfers to US. Including one on Lufthansa PTS. The United States of America is a place where things move as per plan and time. Less like hood of unforeseen emergencies. Very nice ground ambulance support – in fact the best in the World.
— Dr. Satish Bhardwaj, Goodmans Rescue
Frequently Asked Questions
Around 15 to 16 hours non-stop on an ultra-long-range jet, or 17 to 20 hours with one or two fuel stops. Bedside-to-bedside, most missions complete within 20 to 24 hours.
With correct planning, yes. The determining factors are the fitness-to-fly assessment, oxygen and equipment endurance planning, and crew rotation. Our physicians decline or delay missions where the risk is not justified — and tell families so honestly.
Aircraft type is the biggest driver: an ultra-long-range jet flying non-stop costs more per hour but saves fuel-stop time; a standard long-range jet is cheaper hourly but adds stops. Patient acuity, crew size and routing also move the price.
Yes. We confirm acceptance with the receiving hospital and admitting physician before departure, and select the arrival airport nearest to it, with a ground ambulance pre-booked for the final leg.
The patient's medical summary, passport and valid US visa, the receiving hospital's acceptance letter, and airline or operator medical clearance. Our desk prepares the checklist and chases each item so families do not have to.
Yes, on select scheduled services, subject to airline clearance and stretcher fitment lead time — typically 4 to 6 days. It is the most economical way to move a stable patient on this route.