HELICOPTERS & SUSTAINABILITY

At first glance, helicopters may not appear to be sustainable. However, a closer look quickly reveals their value for both society and the environment. Here we would like to present a few practical examples.

OUR ROLE

PROTECTING LIVES

Helicopters are an indispensable part of modern emergency rescue. Their ability to reach almost any location quickly and directly can mean the difference between life and death. Whether on a motorway, at a hard-to-reach accident site on a mountainside, or far out at sea – air rescue teams arriving within minutes significantly increase patients’ chances of survival. No other means of rescue offers the same combination of speed, flexibility, and direct access from the air. In an emergency, every second counts.

FIGHTING WILDFIRES

Wildfires cause enormous damage to nature, wildlife, and infrastructure. Helicopters are an effective tool in wildfire suppression. They deliver water with pinpoint accuracy to hard-to-reach hotspots where ground crews would have little chance. Of course, the high energy consumption of helicopters must also be taken into account. However, this is outweighed by the far more severe damage an uncontrolled fire would cause: massive CO₂ emissions, the loss of entire forests and biodiversity, as well as harm to people and the economy.

Driving the Energy Transition

A stable energy supply is the backbone of the energy transition. Helicopters play an important role in maintaining our energy infrastructure. They enable aerial inspections of, for example, high-voltage power lines. This allows checks to be carried out that would be extremely time-consuming, hazardous, or simply impossible from the ground. In this way, helicopters make an often-overlooked contribution to transforming our energy system towards greater reliance on renewable sources—tasks that would otherwise be very difficult to accomplish.