The little girl, whose life was in imminent danger, was transported on a Falcon 900 aircraft of the 31st Wing of the Italian Air Force.

An urgent medical flight from Catania to Rome was completed this afternoon Falcon 900 del 31st Wing of the Air Force in favour of a baby girl only four months old.

The child, in a very serious state of health and imminent danger to life, admitted to Catania at the’University Hospital Trust Policlinico Vittorio Emanuele, requiring urgent specialist care, which made the immediate intervention of an Air Force aircraft necessary. Arriving by ambulance at Catania-Fontanarossa Airport, the little girl was embarked on the Falcon 900 around 12:00 PM, accompanied on the flight by her father and assisted by a doctor and a nurse. From there, once boarding operations were completed, the aerial journey to Ciampino military airport (Rome), home of the Air Force's 31st Wing, where the aircraft landed after about an hour of flight.

An ambulance from the airport was waiting for the baby. Gemelli University Polyclinic Foundation, where the little girl was immediately transported to receive specific treatment.

The crew of the 31st Wing subsequently resumed operational readiness service at Ciampino airport, the permanent base of the Flight Department.

The flight, requested by Catania Prefecture and authorised by Prime Minister's Office, it was immediately arranged and coordinated by the Summit Situation Room of the Air Squad Command / 1st Air Region, the Operations Room of the Air Force, whose duties include activating and managing urgent medical transports, giving the take-off order to the aircraft that the Armed Force keeps ready, 24 hours a day, for these kinds of emergencies from various bases.

Missions of this kind require acting with Utmost promptness, guaranteed by meticulous organisation and well-established procedures. Hundreds of flight hours are carried out each year by Italian Air Force aircraft for urgent medical transports, both for people in life-threatening conditions and for medical teams and/or organs, for humanitarian flights or, again, for search and rescue missions.

Crews of 31st Wing of Ciampino, of 15th Air Wing of Cervia and of SAR Centres (Search and Rescue) employees, of the 46th Air Brigade of Pisa and 14th Practice Wing of Pratica di Mare They are ready 365 days a year, on a seamless basis, to take off in a very short time, with aircraft and crews capable of operating, even in complex meteorological conditions, for any destination in Italy and abroad upon request from Hospitals, Prefectures and, in the case of overseas missions, from diplomatic representations.