Rega can look back on an extremely busy year: in 2019, its Operations Centre organised 16,782 missions. That is two percent less than in the previous year and thus the second-highest number since the record year of 2018. Last year, the Rega crews transported 11,167 patients (-3.6 %) on board its rescue helicopters and ambulance jets, which meant they helped approximately 31 patients per day.

Second-highest number of missions by Rega helicopters since the record summer of 2018

Rega’s helicopter crews were in great demand in 2019, too: they performed a total of 12,257 missions (-2.5 %) on behalf of the Swiss population. Rega’s helicopter mission statistics are subject to natural fluctuation and reflect, for example, the weather conditions and the leisure activities of both the Swiss population and the foreign tourists in our country. The number of missions carried out by Rega helicopters in 2019 is the second-highest since 2018.

Rega ambulance jets in operation worldwide for the Swiss population

Rega does not only come to the aid of people in distress in Switzerland, but also all over the world and around the clock: in 2019, it repatriated a total of 1,345 patients (-0.7 %). Of these, 972 patients (-0.9 %) were flown back home to Switzerland in one of its three ambulance jets. For 373 patients (-0.3 %), Rega was able to organise the return journey on board a scheduled aircraft, accompanied by a flight physician or intensive care flight nurse or without a medical escort.

70,000 new Rega patrons

It is only thanks to the solidarity contributions by its patrons that Rega is able to provide medical assistance by air for the Swiss people. Rega was delighted to welcome 70,000 new patrons as per the end of 2019, which is equivalent to an increase of two percent or more than the population of Lugano. As a result, 3,552, 000 patrons are currently keeping Rega in the air.

Rega Media Service