Looking back on 2024: a year of strong performances
The Annual General Meeting of Air Zermatt AG took place on Friday at the Riffelalp Resort above Zermatt. With a review of formative events and challenging missions, Chairman of the Board of Directors Philipp Perren and CEO Daniel Aufdenblatten gave shareholders an insight into the 2024 financial year. The year was characterised by weather-related challenges, extraordinary missions and strategic development.
With over 6,000 flight hours and more than 2,000 rescue missions, Air Zermatt's operational performance in 2024 remained at the same high level as the previous year. This is a remarkable result, especially in view of the extremely bad weather around Easter, which largely prevented the important spring business.
At around 1,100, the number of ambulance call-outs was slightly down on the previous year. The decline in the number of call-outs in the Visp valleys is striking, while the number of call-outs increased in the rest of the canton.
Special foreign mission in Belgium
In April 2024, Air Zermatt successfully completed a special mission in Antwerp (Belgium): The Bell 429 and the in-house developed Grid Maintenance System were used to remove a tangled nylon line from a 380 kV line in the middle of the harbour area. The crew took off from Valais in the morning and returned the same evening. This mission is impressive proof of Air Zermatt's international operational capability and technical innovation.
Airlift to the Saas Valley after a natural disaster
After flooding and landslides in the Saas Valley in September 2024, Air Zermatt not only ensured the supply of medicines and food, but also evacuated over 1,000 people from the Saas Valley within three days. Looking back, the Air Zermatt managers regretted the lengthy bureaucratic process: "It took a day and a half to get all the authorisations. In emergency situations like this, quick action is crucial."
The year was characterised by three tragic major operations
Several dramatic missions left deep scars in the past year:
Tête Blanche (March 2024): Six ski tourer friends lost their lives during a change in the weather. The extreme conditions made the rescue difficult, which could only be continued the following day.
Riffelberg (April 2024): A large avalanche claimed four lives. 45 rescue teams, including eight avalanche search dog handlers, were deployed.
Petit Combin (April 2024): A tragic helicopter accident involving partner company Air-Glaciers claimed the lives of three people. The incident also had a profound impact on the Air Zermatt crews.
Strategic further development of the Air Zermatt Training Centre
In 2024, the Air Zermatt Training Centre (ATC) focused specifically on the core areas of mountain medicine and air rescue. The reduction in the range of courses on offer, for example by discontinuing the CZV courses, and the introduction of specialised Bell 429 training modules led to a clear profiling.
