The little one, just eight days old, traveled in an incubator assisted by a specialized medical team aboard a Gulfstream G650 of the 31st Squadron

Yesterday, August 15, the emergency medical transport of a newborn baby of just eight days, in imminent danger of life, was carried out at the “Renato Dulbecco” Hospital-University Center in Catanzaro and needed to be transferred as quickly as possible to the Giannina Gaslini Institute in Genoa.

The flight, as provided for by the procedures for this type of activity, was authorised by the Prime Minister's Office, which manages and coordinates the activities of the State aircraft fleet.

The activation took place at the request of the Prefecture of Catanzaro to the Top Situation Room of the Air Squad Command of the Italian Air Force in Milan, which immediately engaged the 31st Wing of Ciampino, one of the units that carries out operational readiness service for this type of mission.

After completing the necessary procedures, the Gulfstream G650 took off from Rome-Ciampino airport towards Genoa, where it boarded a specialized medical team. The aircraft then reached Lamezia Terme airport, where the little patient, coming from the hospital in Catanzaro, was boarded directly on board in an incubator together with the medical staff.

The G650 then set off for Genoa. After landing in the early afternoon, an ambulance provided the subsequent transfer of the newborn to the Giannina Gaslini Institute for hospitalization and necessary care.

This type of activity in favor of the community is one of the institutional tasks performed by the Air Force. The flight units are available to the community 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with vehicles and crews capable of operating, even in complex weather conditions, to ensure the urgent transport not only of people in imminent danger of life, but also of organs, medical teams or ambulances.

Every year, hundreds of flight hours are carried out for these types of operations by aircraft from the 31st Wing of Ciampino, the 14th Wing of Pratica di Mare, the 46th Air Brigade of Pisa, and helicopters from the 15th Wing of Cervia.