Royal Philips Electronics and Air France-KLM Group have announced an agreement to equip all KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Air France passenger flights with Philips’ HeartStart automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for sudden cardiac arrest.
Philips will serve as the preferred supplier of AEDs to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Air France, replacing the defibrillators currently on board. KLM also announced it will install the Philips HeartStart FRx AED on its Transavia passenger flights and all flight crews will be fully trained on the new device.
The HeartStart FRx AED has been tested and certified for airline use and does not interfere with airplane electronics. Rugged and durable, it features clear audio instructions for both guided use and cardiopulmonary resuscitation coaching in addition to intuitive icon-driven operation for ease of use. Its unique infant/child mechanism turns the HeartStart FRx into a paediatric defibrillator, offering the potentially life-saving simplicity and versatility of being able to use the same set of pads on adults, children and infants.
“This product is the result of 50 years of innovation in cardiac resuscitation and sudden cardiac arrest technology at Philips,” said Mike Mancuso, CEO Patient Care and Clinical Informatics at Philips Healthcare. “As the global leader in this market, we are committed to doing everything we can to help travelers survive a sudden cardiac arrest while in the air or at the airport. Philips is perfectly positioned to establish complex cross border defibrillation programs for large multinational organisations, and we take pride and comfort in knowing that by expanding public access to AEDs, lives will be saved.”
