ÖAMTC Air Rescue

The ÖAMTC Air Rescue is a mainstay of Austria’s emergency medical care facilities, providing 16 air bases, 24 emergency rescue helicopters, 46 full-time pilots and over 500 doctors, paramedics and air rescue personnel.


Its partners include the Austrian Red Cross and the Austrian Mountain Rescue. Christophorus emergency rescue helicopters fly almost 16,000 assignments a year, 22 per cent in alpine terrain. On average the rescue helicopters arrive at the accident scene within 13 minutes of scrambling. This rapid air response has been a life saver for around seven per cent of patients, and for a much larger number it has prevented lasting injuries or long-term rehabilitation. Ever since Christophorus 1, Austria’s first emergency rescue helicopter, first went into operation in Innsbruck in 1983, ÖAMTC helicopters have flown a total of 120,000 assignments.