Parents of children with severe autism describe business jet travel as a ‘near-miracle’ for allowing their children to get the medical help they need.  

“There are so few places in the country with the sub-specialized care these children need,” says Dr. Paul Abend, a New Jersey physician with an autistic child of his own. “So how do you get the child to such a clinic? You might survive 45 minutes in a car, but the clinic nearest us would be a six-hour drive.” 

Airline travel often isn’t an option for the severely autistic, because the strange sights, sounds and feelings can traumatize those affected by autism.

Earlier this year, Dr. Abend, his wife Dr. Lori Abend and EmreAir Solutions president Toni Drummond  founded a non-profit group called Autism Escapes, a New Jersey-based service that coordinates flights to autism-specialty clinics, using business jets donated by private companies.

One of the first Autism Escapes flights was donated by Dirk van der Sterre, owner of the FTC FBO in Morristown, New Jersey.  “I’ve always believed in helping others,” he says.  “Also, aviation has been put down so much in the news recently. There are many people in aviation doing a lot of good, but most people just don’t realize it.” 

Dr. Abend, who accompanied the children, their parents and a behavioral specialist on the flight from New Jersey to Boston, was amazed. “We got right on the plane, and we were in Boston in 42 minutes,” says Dr. Abend. “Forty-two minutes.”

More than two dozen non-profit organizations in the U.S. help match hundreds of business airplanes with children and adults needing specialty medical care. Many business owners cite “giving back to the community” as a reason for donating such charitable flights in their business aircraft.

Companies wishing to register for Autism Escapes flights, please contact Toni Drummond at EmreAir Solutions, 201-365-6017 or email tdrummond@emreair.com.