ÖAMTC Air Rescue Celebrates Milestone with a Ceremony

Anniversary celebration with international guests and a look back at the 25th anniversary of the takeover of the BMI air rescue bases.

During a ceremony, the ÖAMTC Air Rescue Service commemorated its 500,000th mission and, with it, a success story that has played a pivotal role in shaping emergency medical care in Austria since 1983. Another significant anniversary was also celebrated: 25 years ago, the service took over the bases that had previously been operated by the Ministry of the Interior and the Austrian Armed Forces. Numerous national and international guests attended the event, including Federal Minister of the Interior Gerhard Karner, Stefan Thomé (Airbus Helicopters), and Francis Larribau (Safran Helicopter Engines). Marco Trefanitz and Klaus Schwarzenberger, the managing directors of ÖAMTC Air Rescue, also welcomed representatives of national emergency response organizations and European air rescue operators—including Stefan Becker (Rega) and Frédéric Bruder (ADAC Luftrettung)—as well as partners from the political and business sectors to Vienna.

Comprehensive Network of ÖAMTC Air Rescue

In his speech, Federal Minister Gerhard Karner emphasized the importance of the ÖAMTC air rescue service for safety and emergency medical care in Austria: “The collaboration between the ÖAMTC and the police is a true success story of which we can be proud. Our shared goal of helping people in need and ensuring safety has united us for 25 years—and that will continue to be the case in the future,” the interior minister emphasized.

Marco Trefanitz emphasized the collaboration among all those involved: “500,000 missions are the result of true teamwork. In addition to our crews in the air, our colleagues in engineering, maintenance, training, and administration also make their indispensable contributions every day. It is only through this teamwork that we can provide rapid and professional assistance around the clock.”

The acquisition of the BMI bases in 2001 laid the foundation for the current structure of air rescue in Austria. ÖAMTC President Markus Ludvik: “With this move, ÖAMTC Air Rescue has proven that it can not only fly but also shape the future. This step laid the foundation for the nationwide network we operate today, which saves lives every day.”

In this context, ÖAMTC Director Ernst Kloboucnik emphasized the significance of the decision made at that time: “Within just a few months in 2001, a new, uniformly organized system was established that pooled existing expertise and laid the groundwork for a modern, efficient air rescue service. This foundation remains in place to this day and enables continuous improvement for the benefit of patients.”