The work will begin in Northern Quebec, where the partners will assess how FLYING CARE could complement existing health-care delivery in regions shaped by distance, climate, limited infrastructure and reduced access to specialized services.
Developing a Canadian Path for FLYING CARE
Figurr will support the development of the Canadian business plan, identify priority use cases and contribute to market development in Quebec and across the country.
The firm brings experience in complex aviation environments and a long history of collaborating with Indigenous communities. This combination will help ground the initiative in Canadian health systems, local conditions, culture and community priorities.
“FLYING CARE asks a compelling question: how can healthcare infrastructure reach communities when distance and limited ground access are major constraints? This partnership brings together complementary expertise to explore a practical Canadian response.”
— Rick Rubin, Architect and Partner, Figurr Architects Collective
A Mobile Hospital Transported by Airship
FLYING CARE is a modular, self-sufficient mobile hospital concept intended to support recurring preventive, diagnostic and curative services in isolated areas.
The hospital would be transported using the LCA60T, a 200-metre rigid airship being developed by the Franco-Quebecer aeronautical company FLYING WHALES. Designed to carry up to 60 tonnes and operate in extreme cold, the airship’s hovering load-transfer capability is intended to move heavy or oversized cargo without requiring extensive ground infrastructure.
These capabilities could create new possibilities for delivering adaptable clinical capacity to areas where conventional construction and transportation are constrained by geography or seasonal access.
FLYING CARE remains in development. Its operating model, architecture, medical systems, modularity and resilience are among the elements currently being studied.
Complementing Existing Health Systems
FLYING CARE is intended to complement existing health systems rather than replace permanent facilities or established services. By bringing additional clinical capacity closer to communities, the concept could support more regular access to care while responding to changing regional needs.
“Canada’s geography makes it a natural setting to explore FLYING CARE. Our partnership with Figurr will help us adapt to Canadian realities and deliver long-lasting value.”
— Vincent Guibout, CEO, FLYING WHALES QUEBEC
The initial work in Northern Quebec will help the partners develop a responsible Canadian approach shaped by local needs, collaboration and long-term service continuity.
By bringing together architectural, aviation and community-based experience, Figurr and FLYING WHALES will explore how a new model of mobile health-care infrastructure could respond to some of Canada’s most complex access challenges.