Air rescue

Christophorus needs temporary quarters

Ready for take-off: The "C18" crew together with Mayor Klaus Schneeberger at the helicopter's temporary quarters.(Bild: Stadt Wiener Neustadt/Weller)

A few days ago, a temporary ÖAMTC air rescue service for Burgenland commenced operations in Wiener Neustadt. The "Christophorus 18" and its air rescue team are now stationed in a hangar made available at short notice by the company "Pilart Air" at Flugplatz Ost. From there, they take off on missions to the neighboring federal state. The question is: for how long?

"The city is helping out here in the short term and as a temporary solution in a spirit of partnership and in the interests of the health of the people of Burgenland. However, it is also clear that the state politicians in Eisenstadt must create a permanent solution in their own state as quickly as possible," explains Mayor Klaus Schneeberger from Wiener Neustadt and continues: "As far as I know, a planned project in Frauenkirchen can be implemented in a few months. I expect this project to be driven forward quickly and go into operation within the next year."

Flight rescuers for Burgenland are currently taking off from Wiener Neustadt.(Bild: Huber Patrick)

 A sustainable solution is not only owed to the people of Burgenland, but also to the people of Wiener Neustadt, who will certainly notice the increased flight movements of the rescue helicopter in the coming months. Schneeberger: "On behalf of the people of Burgenland, however, I would like to thank the ÖAMTC, whose team I warmly welcome here, and the company 'Pilart' for the rapid implementation."

Peter Fleischhacker, Head of Flight Operations at ÖAMTC: "In return, we would like to thank the city of Wiener Neustadt for making this temporary solution possible without any delays or bureaucracy. It is clear to us that our operations lead to additional noise emissions. Fortunately, in our experience, these are only a few flights a day for Burgenland - but it is still important that the temporary solution remains in place for a maximum of one year." This is also confirmed by the Burgenland state government: "We are working on a solution in the district of Neusiedl."