Five stories – one team: Air Zermatt in 2024

Our work at Air Zermatt is demanding, diverse and full of surprises – no two days are the same. This involves a lot of flexibility, but it’s also what makes the job so great. It’s a privilege to be part of the Air Zermatt team. I’m fascinated by the world of helicopters, and I’m so happy to be able to work in this unique environment every day.

One really memorable moment for me this year was the summer storms that caused so much damage in Valais. Air Zermatt was on hand to help out right away – for transporting material, as well as for airlifts in the Saas Valley. This was a time when the spirit of solidarity that makes our organization so strong really came to the fore. Colleagues spontaneously returned from leave or their holidays without being asked to do so. It was impressive to see how we are all united by a common goal: to help when others need us. This commitment shows that Air Zermatt is much more than just a workplace - it is a place where commitment is lived.

For several years now, I’ve been able to travel from India to Air Zermatt every year to take part in task specialist training. Every time I arrive, I receive a warm welcome from the team and right away I feel the unique spirit that makes Air Zermatt so special.

It’s a great honor and a fantastic opportunity for me to be able to learn from the best. With Air Zermatt I not only get the chance to work on my technical knowledge, but also to improve my medical skills. I find the transport flights especially fascinating, as these would be unthinkable in India. The experience I gain here is hugely enriching for my work at home, and helps us to develop new perspectives.

I myself work for a helicopter company in India, but what I see Air Zermatt doing on a daily basis in Valais is on a different level altogether. Our pilots wouldn’t be able to fly longline missions, for example, but here this is almost a standard technique.

Every year I return full of respect, new insights and lasting impressions. Working together with Air Zermatt is hugely inspiring for me.

When it came to sharing my personal experience from 2024 for this blog post, there was a tongue-in-cheek suggestion that “no one’s interested in experiences from the marketing department!” It’s true, I don’t fly helicopters, rescue people from the north face of the Matterhorn or coordinate air traffic over the Valais. But what makes it so exciting, and even unique, to work for the marketing department at Air Zermatt?

As a former event manager, I thought I knew what it meant to be flexible. But at Air Zermatt, this concept takes on a whole new meaning. Here, flexibility means that when a film crew is on site for example, none of the advance planning, briefing and scripting can stop us having to change everything around – while still making sure everyone involved goes home happy in the end. And this is exactly the kind of flexibility that creates unforgettable experiences. It’s always very special when a family visits the heliport with their children just to watch the helicopters take off and land, and to see the little spectators’ eyes light up with excitement. Or when complete strangers stop by at a trade fair just to say thank you for the day-to-day work we do Air Zermatt. And then there are the major incidents when the entire team – administration, technical services and pilots alike – comes together to help. This sense of solidarity is what makes Air Zermatt so special.

I’ve seen so many of these memorable moments since I took over as head of Marketing in January. These experiences might not be in the spotlight, but they’re still the heart of our work. You just have to see them – and know how to appreciate their value.

The highlight of 2024 can be summed up in one word: progress. It was a year full of change and development that opened up lots of new opportunities for us. We made new additions to our team, we sharpened our strategic focus and we saw long-term projects bear fruit.

2024 was a successful year in terms of our training courses, not only bringing in new clients but also allowing us to introduce long-planned course models like the exclusive High Altitude and Dynamic Hoist Training on our third Bell. Our core competencies – from medical and aviation training to technical options such as firefighting courses – were all extremely well received.

But alongside all the developments in terms of course content, various other aspects are extremely important to us, such as contact with people, valuable experiences and our biggest motivation, which is helping to save lives through our work and make the world a little safer.

In my work as a flight paramedic there’s no such thing as routine, and each and every mission demands our full attention. Every callout is unique. One of our rescue missions from the summer of 2024 was especially unforgettable. Two climbers were in trouble on the Lagginhorn, and the weather conditions were getting worse by the minute.

We knew full well that if we didn’t reach them in time, they’d have to spend a rough – and potentially fatal – night on the mountain. In this critical situation, the weather forced us to make several attempts. But it’s moments just like these that show the strength of our crew. Thanks to the perfect teamwork of everyone involved, we managed to fly the climbers safely down to the valley literally at the last second.

And it’s precisely situations like this that make my work so rewarding and fill me with so much motivation. Seeing how every action counts, how the team comes together so effectively under extreme pressure, and successfully saving lives – this is the true essence of what we do.