ÖAMTC Air Rescue Completes 500,000th Mission

From the Pioneer Flight in 1983 to a Nationwide Network

The ÖAMTC air rescue service now operates 24 bases, including four seasonal bases and one intensive care transport helicopter. Each year, the crews are dispatched to more than 21,000 missions. This year, a 24/7 base in Suben will be added, intended to serve Upper Austria and Bavaria.

Half a million missions of this kind are unique throughout Austria, emphasized Marco Trefanitz, CEO of ÖAMTC air rescue. "Im Mittelpunkt stehen für uns jedoch nicht die Zahlen, sondern die Menschen: Patient:innen, die schnelle medizinische Hilfe brauchen – und natürlich unsere Crews und Mitarbeiter, die 365 Tage im Jahr für die Bevölkerung da sind."

The operation is supported by 74 pilots, 381 doctors, 159 flight rescuers, and 74 employees in maintenance and technology, as well as 56 in administration and ground operations. A crew on board normally consists of three people: a pilot, a flight rescuer, and an emergency physician.

Costs and Financing of the Missions

The cost of a "normal" mission amounts to around 5,000 euros, according to Trefanitz. If it becomes more complicated because longer approaches or, for example, a winch rescue are necessary, the cost quickly reaches 10,000 euros or more. Alpine missions account for roughly ten to 15 percent of the total. With regard to missions in the alpine recreational sports sector, it must be repeatedly emphasized "dass hier Versicherungen notwendig sind, weil diese Einsätze von den Patientinnen und Patienten bezahlt werden müssen."

"Die Mehrzahl der Einsätze wird mit der österreichischen Sozialversicherung abgerechnet, ab einem bestimmten Erkrankungsgrad," the expert explained. Lower follow-up costs due to fewer or avoided long-term health consequences also have a macroeconomic impact: "Für jeden Euro, der in die Flugrettung investiert wird, ergibt sich ein Nutzen von rund zehn bis zwölf Euro."

The mission profile has changed over the years: The "Christophorus" fleet was originally created to provide rapid assistance for serious traffic accidents. Today, other emergencies are in the foreground.

New Helicopters and Satellite-Based Navigation

The air rescue service is also restructuring technically: shortly, the first Airbus H140 will be put into service. With greater range and more space for patient care, the new type of helicopter is to replace the Airbus H135 model over the coming years. The required modernization of the fleet with the new H140 helicopter generation is one of the central future projects.

In addition, "klassische Sichtfliegerei" is to be supplemented by so-called Point-in-Space solutions — a satellite-based navigation technique, Trefanitz explained. "Man kann es sich vorstellen wie eine GPS-basierte Autobahn in der Luft, wo wir uns sozusagen fixe Korridore bauen, an denen wir entlangfliegen können, auch wenn wir nicht die Sichtflugbedingungen haben, die erforderlich sind." In addition, satellite-based flight procedures are being developed to enable missions even under more demanding weather conditions.

The "Christophorus" crews must also take current weather conditions into account: "Der Einsatz bei Hitze hat natürlich spezielle Herausforderungen, weil eines mag ein Hubschrauber gar nicht: heiße Luft und weit oben zu operieren," it was said. "Wir verlieren bei solcher Hitze bis zu zehn, 15 Prozent an Leistung per Hubschrauber, und dementsprechend muss man da auch genügend Reserven einplanen."

One possible future approach is the use of drones for transporting medical goods between hospitals. This could enable the ÖAMTC air rescue service to further expand its range of services in the coming years.