posted on July 25, 2014 17:26
Work has begun on a new headquarters for European Air Ambulance member Luxembourg Air Rescue.
Some 26 years after it was founded, Luxembourg Air Rescue has begun work on building a new state-of-the-art headquarters at Findel airport. The nine
million euro HQ is entirely self-funded by LAR, which receives no state aid and relies solely on membership fees and donations for its income.
Luxembourg Air Rescue, together with DRF Luftrettung, established European Air Ambulance as its commercial operations arm for the repatriation of patients
at the behest of their medical insurer. Together, the companies have vast experience in the air ambulance sector.
Luxembourg Air Rescue has long been seeking to construct a headquarters, hangar and maintenance facility that is appropriate to its status as the country’s
only air rescue provider. “For close to three decades we have been operating life-saving missions from containers, 365 days a year,” said LAR founder, CEO
and President René Closter at the ground-breaking ceremony. “This modernisation of the LAR facilities at Findel had become necessary to properly serve
current demand, and to be able to offer decent working conditions for our workers. The move carries real significance for our organization, because it
represents an important and necessary investment. I am glad that the excavators can now roll up and begin construction work.”
European Air Ambulance, one of the leading air ambulance operators in the world, will also benefit from the new building, which will house its Mission
Control Centre. It will be fitted with state of the art technical and IT equipment to manage the EAA fleet, which is composed of the aircraft at the
disposal of LAR and DRF Luftrettung - 3 Learjet 45XR and 4 Learjet 35A that can fly air ambulance missions worldwide.
The new HQ will also enable LAR and EAA to cut maintenance costs and make all operations more efficient. For instance, in the former temporary hangars
supplies and equipment often need to be unloaded from aircraft to ensure that they were maintained in top condition. In the new temperature-controlled
hangar they can remain aboard the aircraft.
The new facility, which comprises close to 6,000 square metres of space, should be completed by December 2015.
