It takes off vertically, flies with electricity and at a not too high altitude: what became known as the “air taxi” is no longer a vision of science fiction, but is becoming have already been specifically developed by several companies – and should soon arrive in Unterallgäu. An “electrically powered vertical take-off and landing aircraft” could in the future transport patients in the region around Memmingen and partially replace the emergency ambulance. These plans were presented on Monday afternoon at Memmingen City Council.
Airborne emergency care
In the case of urgent diagnoses such as a heart attack or stroke, patients must reach the hospital faster with the aircraft called “eResCopter” than on the road. As the air taxi is equipped as an emergency ambulance, it should be possible to provide initial emergency care.
Additionally, the vertical takeoff aircraft is intended to transport transport between future “tier hospitals” of different levels of care. in accordance with the planned hospital reform to assume. For example, patients from a primary care clinic could be flown to a specialty clinic for treatment. These transports would increase in the future due to the upcoming “centralization of the hospital landscape,” said Krystian Pracz of the DRF Air Rescue Foundation.
Test flights from 2025
Unmanned test flight operations are scheduled to begin in 2025, with approval for general flight operations expected in 2029. Then, the “eResCopter” – faster than an emergency ambulance and cheaper than a helicopter – will complement the network existing rescue system and will thus improve medical care in rural areas.
A big advantage over helicopters is the accompanied transport of accident victims, for example, as in an ambulance, said Rudolf Schwarz, CEO of the “eResCopter” manufacturer, IABG. Furthermore, the acquisition price is around a third of the cost of a helicopter, which costs between ten and twelve million euros.
At the start of the project, Mayor Jan Rothenbacher (SPD), district administrator Alex Eder (FW), Memmingen state parliament member and former Bavarian health minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) as well as representatives from DRF Air Rescue Foundation and the manufacturer IABG, held a corresponding meeting in Memmingen town hall. Signed letter of intent.