Association of Air Medical Services

What Association of Air Medical Services does

The Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS) is a non-profit 501(c)(6) international trade association founded in 1980 and headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. It represents more than 600 companies and programs across the air medical and critical care ground transport industry, organized around three pillars: Advocacy (CMS, Congressional, and FAA engagement, including a Political Action Committee), Collaboration (Town Halls, committees, awards), and Education (MTLI, SMTA, LIFT, Flight Ready Institute). Member companies include large air medical operators (Air Methods, PHI, MedFlight, UPMC STAT MedEvac, Life Link III, STARS), hospital systems, OEMs (Bell, Leonardo, Airbus), and industry suppliers, structured across Regular, Associate, Supporting, and Individual membership tiers.

AAMS monetizes primarily through tiered annual membership dues, ranging from $500 for individual memberships to over $48,400 for large multi-base operators (priced per operating base and staffed asset), plus $10,000 for associate members. Secondary revenue streams include the annual Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC), in-person training academies at Oglebay (MTLI, LIFT) and Hilton DFW Lakes (SMTA), the Flight Ready Institute's largely online 40-week program, the bi-monthly Air Medical Journal, sponsorships, and store revenue. Its only notable technology asset is the ETHOS (Emergency Transport Healthcare Operations and Safety) database, a real-time catalogue of U.S. air medical assets that anchors advocacy, research, and operations work. The organization operates with a small staff (1-10 employees) and is governed by a Board of Directors drawn from across the industry.

Name

Association of Air Medical Services

Legal name

Association of Air Medical Services

Website

https://aams.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AAMS is a 501(c)(6) international trade association, founded in 1980 and based in Alexandria, Virginia, representing more than 600 air medical and critical care ground transport companies and programs through tiered membership dues, advocacy, industry certifications (CMTE, MTSP-C, LIFT-C, CMTP), the annual AMTC conference, and the ETHOS asset database.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: AAMS generates revenue primarily through tiered membership dues. Regular Membership is based on number of operating bases (1-10 bases: $2,200 per base; 11-25 bases: $23,650 covers 11 bases + $1,650 per base above 11; 26+ bases: $48,400 covers 26 bases + $550 per base above 26). Additional staffed assets priced at $550 per rotor wing, $275 per fixed wing, $55 per critical care ground ambulance. Associate Membership: $10,000 annually. Supporting Membership: $5,000 (industry champions/hospital systems) or $1,200 (other industry associations). Individual Membership: $500 annually.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AAMS is a non-profit 501(c)(6) trade association delivering membership, advocacy, and professional education services for the air medical and critical care transport industry. Its core offerings are tiered membership programs (Regular, Associate, Supporting, Individual), industry-standard certification programs (MTLI/CMTE, SMTA/MTSP-C, Flight Ready Institute/CMTP, LIFT/LIFT-C), the annual AMTC conference, awards programs, the ETHOS real-time air medical asset database, and direct advocacy with CMS, Congress, and FAA on behalf of 600+ member companies.

Product overview

The Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS) is a non-profit 501(c)(6) trade association serving the air medical and critical care transport industry. Rather than a unified software platform, AAMS offers a portfolio of programs and services organized around three pillars: Advocacy, Collaboration, and Education. The core educational offerings include the Medical Transport Leadership Institute (MTLI) for leadership certification, the Safety Management Training Academy (SMTA) for safety training, the Flight Ready Institute for flight crew preparation, and the Leadership Incident Fortification Training (LIFT) program for crisis management. Supporting these are the ETHOS database for industry data collection, the annual Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC), multiple awards programs (Community Awards, SPARK Award, 40 Under 40), a Political Action Committee, advocacy resources, and an online store. The organization serves over 600 member companies through membership programs, educational events, and industry collaboration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ETHOS Database: Emergency Transport Healthcare Operations and Safety database - a real-time catalogue of air medical assets in the United States.
• AMTC
• MTLI
• SMTA
• Flight Ready Institute
• LIFT
• AAMS PAC

Products and services

• ETHOS Database The Emergency Transport Healthcare Operations and Safety (ETHOS) database is a real-time catalogue of air medical assets in the United States that collects data from transport providers to support advocacy, research, and operations decision-making across the industry.
• Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC) The premier annual event in air medical and critical care transport featuring hands-on lab sessions, advanced clinical and aviation safety education, networking, and an industry tradeshow; next held October 26-28, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas.
• Medical Transport Leadership Institute (MTLI) An intensive continuing education experience and certification program at Oglebay National Training Center for individuals managing medical transportation services; graduates earn the Certified Medical Transport Executive (CMTE) designation.
• Safety Management Training Academy (SMTA) A formal safety training academy at Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center providing education on safety systems theory and its application to medical transportation, with undergraduate and graduate programs leading to the Medical Transport Safety Professional (MTSP-C) designation.
• Flight Ready Institute A 40-week structured program with scenario-based evaluations developed by volunteer flight crew members, providing clinical foundation, flight crew orientation, interview practice, and career placement support; leads to Certified Medical Transport Professional (CMTP) accreditation and is delivered mostly online with two in-person modules.
• Leadership Incident Fortification Training (LIFT) A week-long immersive training experience at Oglebay National Training Center designed to equip air and ground leaders with crisis management skills; graduates earn the LIFT-C certification.
• LIFT365 A comprehensive collection of specialized resources including Sentinel Event Support Coaching, virtual incident response support, and a resource toolbox to support leaders and teams responding to sentinel events.
• AAMS Political Action Committee (PAC) A non-partisan political action committee that supports lawmakers who have demonstrated support for the air medical community through campaign contributions.
• AAMS On Air A multimedia content platform and podcast featuring interviews, industry discussions, and programming to engage the medical transport community.
• AAMS Online Store A digital storefront offering downloadable products, education materials, scholarships, credentialing products, and merchandise to members and the industry.
• AMTC Community Awards Annual awards recognizing excellence and leadership in emergency medical transport, including Program of the Year, Marriott-Carlson Lifetime Achievement, Jim Charlson Safety, Neonatal/Pediatric, Transport Mechanic's, Making a Difference, Community Impact, Excellence in Transport Leadership, and Rising Spirit awards.
• 40 Under 40: Rising Leaders Awards An awards program recognizing young professionals under age 40 who are making meaningful and measurable impact across multiple disciplines of the medical transport industry; 45 winners recognized in the 2025 inaugural class.

Quantifiable outcome

• Represents 600+ companies and programs serving communities throughout the US and internationally
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• FedExminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAAMS FedEx Advantage Program - provides members with discounted shipping services and rates through FedEx partnership.
• PartnershipShip (UPS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAAMS PartnershipShip Program - freight shipping discounts for members through UPS partnership.
• State/Regional Associations (AZAAMS, Cal-AAMS, TAAMS, OACCT, etc.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAMS State Association Committee fosters collaboration among national and state-level organizations. Directory of active associations maintained. State associations include Arizona, California, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Northeast Region, Ohio, Texas, Wisconsin.
• Oglebay National Training CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for hosting MTLI and LIFT educational programs in Wheeling, West Virginia. Programs include Medical Transport Leadership Institute (MTLI), LIFT crisis leadership training, and LIFT 2.0 advanced training.
• Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for hosting SMTA (Safety Management Training Academy) with all-inclusive training, lodging, and networking at single location near DFW Airport. Room rate: $165/night.
• CAMTS (Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint sponsorship of Eileen Frazer SPARK Award recognizing emerging leaders in out-of-hospital patient care, inspired by Eileen Frazer's vision in founding CAMTS.
• MedEvac Foundation InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAMS President & CEO Jana Williams also serves as President & CEO of MedEvac Foundation International, the charitable arm of AAMS focused on research and education advancement.
• AirbusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Program of the Year Award at AMTC Community Awards.
• Bell TextronminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Marriott-Carlson Lifetime Achievement Award at AMTC Community Awards.
• Leonardo HelicoptersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Transport Mechanic's Award of Excellence at AMTC Community Awards.
• AirBorne Transport Incubators (Division of International Biomedical Ltd.)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of AAMS Neonatal/Pediatric Award of Excellence at AMTC Community Awards.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Helicopter Association International (HAI): International trade association representing the helicopter industry broadly. Comparable to AAMS as a helicopter-focused membership association providing advocacy, education (e.g., HELI-EXPO), and industry events, though HAI serves the entire rotorcraft market while AAMS specializes in the air medical subset.
• Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA): Professional organization for aerospace medicine specialists, including physicians and physiologists serving aviation and space. Comparable to AAMS as an aviation-medicine adjacent membership organization with research journals, annual scientific meetings, and international scope.
• National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO): National organization representing state-level EMS officials. Comparable to AAMS as a policy and advocacy-driven association serving the broader EMS ecosystem, with overlapping membership from air medical operators and similar focus on federal regulatory engagement.

Regional players

• Association of Air Ambulances (UK): UK-based trade association representing air ambulance charities and operators across the British Isles. Directly comparable to AAMS in mission and structure (air medical trade association providing advocacy, training, and standards), but operates in a different geography and primarily represents charity-funded operators.
• European HEMS and Air Ambulance Committee (EHAC): European industry body representing HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Services) operators across Europe. Comparable to AAMS as a regional air medical association focused on safety standards, advocacy, and operator collaboration, but serving the European market rather than North America.

Emerging players

• National EMS Pilots Association (NEMSPA): Trade association specifically for EMS helicopter pilots. Comparable to AAMS as a niche air medical membership organization focused on safety, training standards, and advocacy, with overlapping members and shared interest in pilot workforce issues.
• Air & Surface Transport Nurses Association (ASTNA): Specialty nursing association for transport nurses, including air medical crews. Comparable to AAMS as a membership organization serving a specific air medical transport discipline, with overlap in conference programming (often co-located with AMTC) and certification offerings like the CFRN credential.
• International Association of Flight & Critical Care Paramedics (IAFCCP): Professional association for flight and critical care paramedics. Comparable to AAMS as a discipline-specific membership organization within the air medical ecosystem, focused on paramedic credentialing and education, with overlapping industry events and members.

Direct peers

• American Ambulance Association: Trade association representing ground ambulance and EMS services, with comparable membership dues model, federal advocacy focus (CMS, Congress), annual conference, and educational programming. Directly comparable as a peer medical transport association, though focused on ground rather than air transport.

Others

• Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS): Accrediting body for medical transport programs, jointly running the Eileen Frazer SPARK Award with AAMS. Comparable as an air medical standards organization with deep industry overlap, though CAMTS is an accreditation entity rather than a broad membership association.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AAMSAAMS
• LinkedInws.yourmembership.com/Ams/SocialOAuth/linkedin?Continue=%2fAms%2fFinalizeLogin%2flinkedin%3fReturnUrl%3dhttps%253a%252f%252faams.org%252fsocial%252fconnect.aspx%26ClientID%3d0%26UseReturnUrl%3dTrue
• Xx.com/AAMS

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Association of Air Medical Services