So far, "flying doctors" are mainly known from African countries with poor medical care or sparsely populated areas in Australia.
Since Thursday, doctors in France have also been flown to their place of work in a propeller plane, namely to a small town in Burgundy.
In Nevers there is only one general practitioner for about 2000 inhabitants, the national average is one general practitioner for less than 900 inhabitants.
"A plane is the best way to shorten the times," says the conservative mayor of Nevers, Denis Thuriot, who is also the head of the hospital there.
The nearest university hospital in Dijon, 150 kilometers away, is just under three hours away by car and two and a half hours by train.
With the help of the “airlift”, eight medical specialists are to be brought from Dijon to Nevers for one day a week.
The flight in a private jet, which takes about half an hour each way, costs 670 euros per passenger.
According to the mayor, this pays off, since a substitute doctor can charge up to 3,000 euros per day.
Sharp criticism from the Greens
Green local politicians reacted with horror.
"A flight means 1,500 times more greenhouse gas emissions than a train journey," stressed Sylvie Dupart-Muzerelle.
She accuses the mayor of organizing "a PR campaign".
She also points out that France has banned domestic flights if the journey is less than two and a half hours by train.
This is the case for the Nevers and Dijon railway line, although the ban does not apply to private jets.