Swiss Air-Rescue Rega has provided an overview of its operations in 2024, showing high demand across the year but fewer missions than the previous year. Rega’s Operations Centre organised 19,997 missions, 4.7% less than in 2023.
The air rescue operator transported 12,847 patients in 2024, an average of 35 patients a day, and coordinated 14,714 missions, which included scene calls with no patient transfers and missions such as livestock transports for mountain farmers. These were spread across Rega’s 14 bases and its partner organisations and represent 6.3% fewer missions than in 2023. The mission decline is thought to be related to weather, with a wet spring, a late start to the summer, and heavy rainfall, meaning fewer tourists and leisure activities in Switzerland.
Rega also assisted patients outside of Switzerland, providing repatriation for people who have fallen ill or injured abroad using one of three ambulance jets or, as a more affordable and sustainable alternative, on scheduled aircraft, accompanied by a member of Rega’s medical staff. Rega assisted 2,552 people abroad in 2024; 1,204 were repatriated, and its medical consultants advised 1,204 patients over the phone.
Following that, Rega’s jets transported more patients than in 2023, flying 1,033 missions, an increase of 1.2%, and repatriating 1,029 patients, an increase of 1.4%. Meanwhile, for patients whose medical conditions were stable enough, the Jet Operations Centre organised flights on scheduled aircraft for 319 people, decreasing by 5.1% year on year.
Rega’s fleet is made up of eight H145s, stationed in Zurich, Basel, Berne, Lausanne, Sion and St. Gallen, and 11 AW109s located at the bases in Untervaz, Locarno, Erstfeld, Samedan, Wilderswil, Mollis, Zweisimmen and Sion. An EC135 is also stationed at the Geneva base. Additionally, the operator has 21 H145s on order.
Photo: Rega
