Coast Guard King Air resumes medical evacuations in the country
The Cape Verde Coast Guard's Beechcraft King Air 360 ER aircraft is operational again, and has already resumed medical evacuation missions in the archipelago, after a period of almost 10 months of downtime for maintenance and technical tests. The aircraft, which had suffered an incident in April 2025 during its first medical mission, returned to service on February 11, 2026, as announced in parliament by MP Emanuel Barbosa (MpD).
The King Air 360 ER arrived in Cape Verde in April 2025, having been purchased by the government for more than 11 million euros, including spare parts and initial technical assistance. Built from scratch in the United States, the aircraft was tailored to the needs of the archipelago, with a special configuration for medical evacuations.
On April 17, 2025, during its first medical emergency mission to transport two patients from Boa Vista to Santiago, the aircraft suffered a rough landing at Nelson Mandela International Airport in Praia, resulting in the right propeller blades becoming dented.
After a rigorous process of maintenance and technical tests, accompanied by the North American manufacturer and civil aviation regulators, the plane was declared operational on Wednesday, February 11, 2026.
The Prime Minister, Ulisses Correia e Silva, visited the aircraft this Wednesday at Campo de Preguiça Airport, in São Nicolau, to mark the resumption of operations. On the occasion, the minister pointed out that the aircraft had already carried out a medical evacuation from the island of Boa Vista.
"This aircraft is prepared to carry out evacuations with much better quality and assistance than would be possible on commercial flights, with a military crew trained for this type of operation," said the prime minister.
The return of the King Air represents a significant reinforcement of the medical evacuation system in Cape Verde, especially for the islands with the greatest transportation difficulties. The aircraft acts as a true "air ambulance", allowing patients to be transported with on-board assistance and faster inter-island transfers.
In addition, the plane's return to service will free up commercial flights for emergency missions. Until now, when a medical evacuation occurred, airlines were forced to divert aircraft from their regular routes, causing delays and inconvenience for passengers. With a plane dedicated to this purpose, the commercial air transport system gains greater efficiency and predictability.
In addition to medical evacuations, the King Air 360 ER is equipped to carry out surveillance, search and rescue and maritime patrol missions, with state-of-the-art technology including sensors, radar and electro-optical equipment.
While the plane is available for national operations, its presence in São Nicolau during the presentation phase has significant logistical weight. The island, which has faced historical constraints in the frequency of sea and air connections, will now have an immediate back-up for life-threatening situations, reducing the exclusive dependence on commercial means or adverse weather conditions for patient transfers.
