On April 29, 2025, the helicopter branch of the National Union of Civil Aviation Personnel (SNPNAC) issued a warning regarding the financial instability of helicopter services.

Approximately 40 hospitals are facing financial jeopardy due to unpaid debts, which threatens the viability of helicopter services essential for patient transport.

Hospitals receive funding for helicopter transport contracts from regional health agencies, but significant unpaid debts have accumulated, with some hospitals owing millions to subcontractors.

Samu, the emergency medical service, relies on private helicopter companies, primarily French firms SAF and HBG, as well as the British firm Babcock, for urgent patient transportation.

In response to ongoing financial issues, helicopter pilots and crew members of Samu are threatening to strike during the summer of 2025 if their salaries and the budgets of helicopter companies are not addressed.

The union is demanding an investment of €50 million, which represents less than 4% of the total budget for all French health transports, to align salaries with the European average and ensure the sustainability of vital helicopter services.

Currently, pilots earn a net salary of €2,300 for full-time positions, while copilots and technical crew earn around the minimum wage, making them the lowest paid in Europe.

At the end of their careers, pilots can expect to earn up to €3,100, a figure the union argues is insufficient considering their responsibilities.

According to Alexandre Hinaux, a helicopter pilot and SNPNAC's helicopter branch secretary, their pay is 35% lower than that of Romanian crews.

The SNPNAC warns that if the financial situation continues, dedicated professionals may be forced to halt their crucial operations, which ensure patients are transported to hospitals within 30 minutes.