Doctor helicopters have kept their rental rates unchanged for five years even as fuel and labor costs have risen, deepening operating losses for providers. The small-helicopter rate remains 3.21 billion won and the medium-helicopter rate 4.175 billion won, while some private companies are considering suspending service.
Introduced in 2011 and now deployed across eight regions, the service has helped reduce preventable trauma deaths from 30.5% in 2015 to 9.1% in 2023.