Spotted at Bengaluru Airport; World’s Only Flying Eye Hospital – How Does it Work?
The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital spotted at Bengaluru Airport, the world’s only hospital inside a plane
Passengers at Bengaluru Airport were treated to a rare sight this week – the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital, the world’s only fully functional hospital inside a plane. The airport shared the moment on its official social media handle, calling it “a rare sight at BLR Airport.”
The Flying Eye Hospital is unlike any other aircraft. Operated by Orbis, a non-profit that has been working since 1973, it carries a state-of-the-art ophthalmic teaching hospital on board. Inside the plane are facilities you’d usually expect in a modern hospital – an operating room, patient care and laser room, sterilization unit, classrooms, and even 3D broadcast technology that allows live surgeries to be streamed worldwide.
This aircraft is flown by volunteer pilots and staffed by international medical experts who travel across countries to train local doctors and nurses in advanced eye care. The goal is simple yet ambitious: to end avoidable blindness by sharing knowledge, skills, and technology.
The idea took shape in the 1970s when high costs of tuition and overseas travel made it difficult for doctors in developing countries to receive training. Instead of bringing the doctors to the classrooms, Orbis decided to bring the classroom to them—inside an aircraft. The first Flying Eye Hospital took off in 1982 on a DC-8, followed by a DC-10 in 1994, and the current MD-10 in 2017.
India has been closely connected to this journey. The Flying Eye Hospital first visited Delhi and Hyderabad in 1988 and has since conducted multiple programs in the country, the most recent being in Kolkata in 2013. Over the years, it has helped strengthen India’s eye care system by training doctors, supporting hospitals, and raising awareness about avoidable blindness.
Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan once described Orbis as “an idea that took off and led to achievements beyond our wildest expectations,” a mission that literally helps others see.
For passengers at Bengaluru Airport, the sight of this extraordinary aircraft was more than just aviation wonder. It was a reminder of how innovation and compassion can come together to change lives around the world.
