About Us
Your Trusted Partner in Global Medical Repatriation
Orion Aeromedical is a New Zealand-based aeromedical company delivering safe, reliable, and patient-focused repatriation services worldwide. Founded by experienced clinicians and healthcare leaders with more than 60 years of combined experience, the company brings together extensive clinical, aviation, and operational expertise to ensure exceptional care on every mission.
Through partnerships with trusted aviation providers, Orion Aeromedical coordinates both private air ambulance and commercial repatriation flights across the globe. Our flight teams consist of doctors, nurses, and paramedics who are all trained and experienced in aeromedical operations, ensuring the highest level of clinical expertise and patient care throughout each journey.
Our Mission
To deliver safe, reliable, and clinically excellent aeromedical repatriations and medical escort services, while building long-term partnerships that enhance access to international healthcare and support patient outcomes
Our Story
Orion Aeromedical was born from a shared vision to raise the standard of patient care in aeromedical repatriation. After working together in military and civilian healthcare settings, our founders saw the opportunity to combine clinical excellence, operational discipline, and genuine compassion within a service that truly puts patients first.
With decades of experience across emergency medicine, critical care, and aviation operations, Orion Aeromedical delivers seamless bedside-to-bedside care, ensuring every patient receives the highest standard of medical support wherever they are in the world.
At the heart of the company is our commitment to people. We believe that exceptional care begins with exceptional teams, and we’re dedicated to supporting our clinicians to perform at their best. By investing in our staff and upholding the highest clinical and operational standards, we are a service our patients and partners can trust.
Leadership Team
Russell Clarke
(MHSc)
Director
Clinical Operations
Russell brings over 40 years of experience in healthcare across both military and civilian sectors. He is recognised as a senior clinical leader in aeromedical medicine, with a career spanning global operations from Antarctica to the United States.
During his decades of service with the New Zealand Defence Force, Russell led aeromedical deployments and missions, aeromedical projects, developed fixed- and rotary-wing training programmes, and oversaw the design of aircraft medical platforms. His leadership in aeromedical systems and mission planning strengthened the New Zealand Defence Force’s aeromedical capability and contributed to the development of best practice across the sector.
As a Senior Lecturer for the University of Otago’s postgraduate aeromedical programme, Russell plays an active role in training the next generation of retrieval clinicians. This combination of academic and operational expertise is embedded within Orion Aeromedical’s clinical standards, ensuring every mission reflects the highest levels of safety, professionalism, and care.
Mat Griffin
(PGDipHSc)
Director
Operations & Development
Mat has an extensive background in paramedicine and aeromedical operations across New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, and Australia. His aeromedical work began with the Royal New Zealand Air Force as part of the fixed-wing AME team and has since included both fixed-wing and rescue helicopter missions.
He has held senior clinical and leadership roles across emergency response, primary healthcare, and operational development. This includes establishing governance systems, leading multidisciplinary clinical teams, and building partnerships that support safe and effective medical operations. His experience in diverse, high-acuity environments provides Orion Aeromedical with strong operational oversight and strategic direction.
Mat focuses on quality systems, clinical governance, professional standards, and workforce wellbeing, ensuring Orion Aeromedical delivers safe, reliable, and clinically excellent repatriation services.
Dr Pras Mao
(MBChB, FCICM, FACEM)
Medical Director
Pras is a specialist consultant in intensive care, emergency medicine, paediatric intensive care and paediatric emergency medicine. He has also completed post-fellowship training in child health, medical toxicology and aeromedicine.
Pras has worked in major quaternary hospitals throughout New Zealand, and in past roles has been responsible for coordinating and supervising both adult and paediatric retrieval missions across the country. He has a strong interest in human factors and creating systems and clinical tools to make work more intuitive and safe.
In his role with Orion Aeromedical, Pras provides clinical leadership grounded in human factors and system design, contributing to the development of intuitive, resilient, and safety-focused aeromedical services.