A young girl in imminent danger of death transferred from Catania to Genoa; a man also rescued from Capri to Naples-Capodichino following a severe trauma.

Between yesterday evening, Thursday 12th February, and the early hours of today, the Italian Air Force's standby crews successfully completed two urgent medical transport missions. The operations enabled the rapid transfer of a child and a man who required immediate specialist medical care.

Both flights, as is the case for this type of activity, were authorised by the Prime Minister's Office which manages and coordinates the activities of the State aircraft fleet.

Last evening, an aircraft Gulfstream G650 The 31st Wing from Ciampino took off for Catania to pick up a 10-year-old girl in imminent danger of death. The child, constantly assisted by a medical team and accompanied by her family, was urgently transported to Genoa airport, where she landed around 19:50. An ambulance then ensured the final transfer to the designated hospital facility. The request had been received from Catania Prefecture to the Summit Situation Room Air Squad Command – 1st Air Region of Milan, which immediately activated the 31st Wing.

In the night, a helicopter HH-139B of the’85° SAR Centre (Search and Rescue) of the 15th Wing, based at Pratica di Mare, was called in to rescue a man who had suffered a serious trauma on the island of Capri. The crew recovered the injured man and transported him, along with a medical team, to Naples-Capodichino airport for subsequent hospitalisation. The mission order came from the Operations Room of the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) of Aerospace Operations Command of Poggio Renatico FE.

Missions of this nature for the benefit of the community are one of the institutional tasks carried out by the Air Force. Flying departments are available to citizens. 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, ...with means and crews capable of operating, even in complex weather conditions, to ensure the urgent transport not only of people in imminent danger of losing their lives, but also of organs, medical teams or ambulances.

Every year, hundreds of flight hours are carried out for this type of intervention by aircraft from 31st Wing of Ciampino, of 14th Practice Wing of Pratica di Mare, of 46th Air Brigade of Pisaand from the helicopters 15th Air Wing of Cervia.