ISRAEL: Brook Aviation Takes Eilat Medevac Tender to Court

TEL AVIV, Israel

• Brook Aviation filed an administrative petition in the Tel Aviv District Court, sitting as an administrative affairs court, against Clalit Health Services, the Israeli Ministry of Health, the Israeli Ministry of Finance, and Lahak Aviation.
• The petition seeks cancellation of the Clalit tenders committee decision to extend the no-tender contract with Lahak Aviation for the Eilat emergency medical evacuation helicopter and requires publication of a public, equal and competitive tender.
• Brook Aviation states the arrangement constitutes a blatant and ongoing breach of public tender principles and diverts tens of millions of shekels from public funds.
• The petition notes government decisions renewed the funding on 28 June 2026.
• Lahak Aviation held sole-provider status until Brook Aviation obtained its Civil Aviation Authority medical evacuation licence in March 2023, after which the Accountant General cancelled the status.
• Responsibility for the tender passed between the Ministry of Health and Clalit, resulting in repeated no-tender extensions.
• A 2024 tender received two bids; Magen David Adom with Brook Aviation as subcontractor was initially declared winner but the award was later cancelled under pressure and the tender annulled.
• Lahak Aviation quoted an average ILS 72,000 shekels (USD 23,500) per evacuation flight. Magen David Adom quoted ILS 25,611 (USD 8,300). The gap is ILS 46,389 (USD 15,100), and the Lahak figure is about 2.8 times the Magen David Adom bid.
• The petition alleges the tenders committee considered extraneous factors including freelance employment opportunities for Clalit paramedics.
• Brook Aviation asks the court to cancel the 13 January 2026 no-tender exemption, order Clalit to publish a tender within 30 days and complete it within 60 days, and issue an interim order for equal sharing of on-call duties between the two qualified Israeli providers until the tender is finalised.
• Brook Aviation, set up in 2017, offers charter and medevac helicopter services in Israel. It flies for private clients, tour groups and corporate management, and holds contracts with the Israeli Ministry of Defense and the emergency medical services. It also works with foreign firms on technology projects.
• For its part, Lahak operates in the same niche although its operations extend to the United States through sister company Baltimore Helicopter Services.

Rate used: ILS 3.05 to 3.07 per USD 1 as at the specified date.

Sources:

• Passportnews