Last year, Swiss HEMS operator Rega flew 20,463 missions in 2024 an average of 56 sorties per day, 800 more than in 2024. During the course of the rescue and HEMS missions the operator transported some 13,168 people ,an average of 36 patients a day. Helicopter missions accounted for 11,812 patients with the remainder accounted for by Rega’s fixed wing operations.
The disparity between the number of missions versus the number of patients the result of some sorties being search only with no patient transport while others are transport missions lifting mountain rescue teams from the Swiss Alpine Club or even livestock transfers.
Compared with 2024, the number of helicopter missions rose to 15,265 (+3.7%). The number of primary missions, i.e. rescue missions directly at the site of the incident, increased (9,127 missions, +5.0%), while secondary missions, i.e. transport flights between hospitals, declined slightly (2,591 missions, -5.1%).
Interestingly, the number of missions flown is impacted by weather which impacts leisure activities of the population and tourists in Switzerland. Overall, the past summer in Switzerland was relatively sunny and warm, apart from a rather rainy July. The mission figures also reflect this: in June, Rega crews flew more missions than in the previous year (1,462, +17.9%), while in July (1,736, -8.0%) they spent less time in the air.
Image: Rega
