Air Transat is stepping up in-flight health and safety by equipping all of its 22 aircraft with automated external defibrillators. This initiative follows the implementation in October of an emergency telemedicine service aboard all of the airline’s aircraft enabling flight crews to reach an emergency physician anytime anywhere.

The defibrillator is an electronic device that makes it possible to identify irregular heart action and administer a shock to correct it. It was designed for use by front-line first aid attendants in cardiac emergencies. Air Transat’s flight crews have received training from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada in order to come to the assistance of passengers experiencing cardiac discomfort.

“With the automated external defibrillator and MedLink’s emergency telemedicine services, Air Transat is now able to offer its passengers and flight crews emergency care that will greatly contribute to their safety and well-being,” notes Denis Jacob, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Transat. “Automated external defibrillators (AEDs), when used immediately in the event of cardiac arrest, can increase the victim’s chance of survival by 30% or more,” says Marc Gay, Chair of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada’s Emergency Cardiac Care Committee and Quality Improvement Supervisor of Montreal’s EMS system, Urgences-Santé. “The Foundation is pleased to help any organization adopt this life-saving technology, and it commends Air Transat for being the first airline to use the Foundation’s AED training program for its flight attendants,” he states.

Organizations interested in introducing automated external defibrillators to their emergency response system or in AED training can contact the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada for more information at 1 888 HSF-INFO.

About Air Transat
Air Transat specializes in charter flights from several Canadian and European cities to vacation destinations, mainly in the south during the winter months and in Europe and Canada during the summer. Year-round, Air Transat links Canada’s principal cities. Air Transat’s fleet of 22 aircraft serves 90 destinations in 25 countries. The company employs 2,400. In 2000, Air Transat carried 3.3 million passengers.

Air Transat is a subsidiary of Transat A.T. Inc., an integrated company in the tourism industry. Through its subsidiaries and affiliated companies, it is active in every aspect of the organization and distribution of holiday travel: retail sales through travel agencies, organizing and distributing vacation packages through tour operators, air transportation, and hotel management. Transat A.T. Inc. is a public corporation listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.