As an aviation company and rescue organization, ÖAMTC air rescue is aware of its responsibility not only towards its patients, but also towards society.

For this reason, ongoing efforts are made to reduce the consumption - and thus the CO2 footprint - of the Christophorus fleet. “It is true that emissions decrease with each new generation of helicopters, but this fact alone is not enough for us,” explains Reinhard Kraxner, Managing Director of ÖAMTC Air Rescue. "However, it is also a fact that aviation is still a long way from electric or hydrogen drives." Sustainable Aviation Fuel - SAF for short - remains a practicable option, as it is a real alternative to fossil kerosene. The emergency medical helicopters of the ÖAMTC air ambulance can also be refueled with sustainable aviation fuels without any problems. What is still missing for a change are long-term experience in real operation as well as simple and high availability of the fuels.

For the ÖAMTC air rescue, it was therefore obvious to initiate a pilot project together with the French engine manufacturer Safran Helicopter Engines, the helicopter manufacturer Airbus Helicopters and Air BP. “Investing in new technologies that will enable us and others to fly greener in the future is a matter of course for us,” adds Marco Trefanitz, CFO of ÖAMTC air rescue. "Our vision is to be able to save human lives in a climate-neutral way in the foreseeable future - and we are already working on this together with our partners." The first flight of a Christophorus emergency doctor helicopter, which will take off with an SAF mixture, is planned for the first quarter of 2022.

“Great attention is paid to the reliability and compatibility between biofuel and turbine technology,” explains Kraxner. "Currently, for example, only a mix ratio with a 50 percent share of SAF would be permitted." Once the project phase has been completed, things could go quickly afterwards. "If the necessary certifications are available and the financing has been clarified - SAFs are currently significantly more expensive than conventional aviation fuel - the entire Christophorus fleet could fly with an SAF additive within 18 months," says Trefanitz.

The so-called SAFs are fuels that are produced from sustainable energy sources. There are various procedures and approaches for this. In the case of ÖAMTC air rescue and its partners, the focus is on the second generation “biomass to liquid” process. The biofuel is obtained from residual and waste materials, mostly used cooking oil and fats, so that there is no impact on food production.