Air rescue facility transfer announced between Mannheim and DRF air rescue services
The Interior Ministry of Baden-Württemberg has announced plans to expand its air rescue services with the award of further tendering procedures for air rescue bases across the state. The press release, titled "More Sites for Rescue Helicopters", was published on November 17, 2022.
One of the key developments is the construction of a new air rescue base on the CityAirports Mannheim grounds. The German Air Rescue (DRF) has been chosen to operate this base for the next 15 years, a decision that marks the first extension of an existing location. DRF has been managing the Mannheim air rescue base since its establishment in 1986.
The new base will be equipped with an Airbus H145 D3 type helicopter, featuring a five-blade rotor, and will be staffed by medical crews from the University Hospital Mannheim and the University Hospital Heidelberg. The helicopter will be deployed daily from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM, bearing the radio call sign "Christoph Mannheim".
The retention of the Mannheim location is a result of the expert recommendations from the Structural and Demand Analysis of Air Rescue in Baden-Württemberg, published in May 2020. Once all recommendations from this study have been implemented, the existing ten air rescue bases will be able to reach every location in Baden-Württemberg within 20 minutes during the day.
The award for Mannheim is the second of ten tendering procedures planned for the state. Decisions on the other locations will be made step by step in these procedures. The Ministry of the Interior has awarded the contract for the operation of the air rescue base at Mannheim Airport to DRF Foundation Air Rescue GmbH (DRF). The contract was signed on September 10, 2025.
This expansion of air rescue services in Baden-Württemberg is part of a larger initiative to improve emergency response times and ensure comprehensive coverage across the state. More sites for rescue helicopters are being planned, according to the press release, to further strengthen the state's emergency services.
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