INTERNATIONAL SOS PROVIDES IN-FLIGHT MEDICAL ADVICE ON ANSETT FLIGHTS

International SOS ("SOS"), the world's largest medical and emergency assistance company, signed an agreement recently with Ansett Australia ("Ansett") to provide medical advice and assistance to passengers and crew on all domestic and international Ansett flights. Ansett's crew now has access to immediate 24-hour medical advice to assist in the management of any in-flight medical emergency through SOS' Tele-Medical Service.

The service provides a 24-hour worldwide advisory service, which will allow cabin crew to consult qualified multi-lingual medical staff on the ground if a passenger becomes ill during flight. Should a passenger require medical assistance, Ansett cabin crew, who is already trained in first aid, can now use Ansett's in-flight telephone system to talk to SOS' doctors at the SOS' Alarm Center in Sydney, Australia. The SOS Sydney Alarm Center is part of International SOS' global network of 25 Alarm Centers, dedicated to providing medical advice and services in over 30 languages worldwide.

Should a passenger require further assistance on arrival, SOS medical staff will also be available to make all necessary ground arrangements including ground transport and admission to hospital. SOS' network of medical staff and service providers will ensure the patient has a trouble free transition from aircraft to hospital in any country of the world.

"We are very impressed with International SOS's proven track record in providing medical assistance services both in the air and on land. Safety for our customers and cabin crew has always been our number one priority and this partnership agreement with SOS means having an immediate response to our customer's medical needs in the shortest possible time. It is equivalent to having a doctor onboard the aircraft all of the time!" said Ansett's Group General Manager Operations Technical, Mr. Trevor Jensen.

SOS' Tele-Medical Service includes advisory services to Ansett's pilots in determining whether any in-flight medical situation is critical enough to warrant a flight diversion or if continuation to the original destination will not affect the passenger's condition. This facility helps ensure that Ansett's passengers get the appropriate medical treatment and also avoids costly and unnecessary re-routing of flights.

President and Chief Executive of International SOS, Mr. Arnaud Vaissié, said, "As an international organization, we believe in working with our clients to provide world-class services to the end users. We believe in constantly innovating and improving the quality, reliability and care in the services we render and this program is an example of our customer-focused business philosophy."

Launched early this year, the In-flight Medical Service is part of International SOS's Aviation Assistance Services, a specialized program for air carriers and corporate jet operators worldwide. It has been widely used on European and North American airlines, and is now gaining recognition amongst the Asia-Pacific airlines. A similar agreement has been signed with Singapore Airlines in June of this year.

Cumulating from over 20 years' experience in medical assistance, SOS has carried out over 11,000 medical evacuations in the last 12 months - an average of one case per hour, every day of the year. Its crisis management interventions this year have included the Jolo hostages in the Philippines and security evacuations from the Solomon Islands and Fiji.

About International SOS

International SOS is the world's largest medical and security assistance company, as well as the leading provider of remote medical services - with full-time staff of over 2,600 professionals operating in 25 24-hour Alarm Centres, 20 international clinics and more than 150 remote site medical facilities across five continents. Its offices in 47 countries offer medical and technical support services in over 30 languages to those living and traveling outside their home countries. SOS's head office is located in Singapore, with other regional offices in London, Philadelphia, Johannesburg, Sydney, Tokyo, Jakarta and Beijing.