One mission, two identities: Luxembourg Air Rescue and European Air Ambulance
For nearly four decades, Luxembourg Air Rescue and European Air Ambulance have evolved from their roots in Luxembourg into a globally active aeromedical operation. Tom Hienckes, Commercial Manager at European Air Ambulance, tells ITIJ about the journey
European Air Ambulance (EAA) is known to assistance companies, insurers and medical organisations worldwide as a specialised air ambulance provider. Yet behind every EAA mission lies a history that began long before the name became internationally recognised.
That story starts with Luxembourg Air Rescue (LAR), founded in 1988 by a group of committed firefighters led by René Closter. Their ambition was to establish a rescue helicopter service in Luxembourg despite considerable political, operational and financial challenges.
That story starts with Luxembourg Air Rescue (LAR), founded in 1988 by a group of committed firefighters led by René Closter. Their ambition was to establish a rescue helicopter service in Luxembourg despite considerable political, operational and financial challenges.
In 1998, LAR’s first fixed-wing air ambulance enabled repatriations from Europe and North Africa. As demand for longer-distance missions increased, a Learjet 35A joined the fleet in 1999.
The original focus
International medical transport therefore did not emerge as a separate activity. It evolved naturally from LAR’s original mission: saving lives and providing specialised medical assistance wherever needed. As international activities grew, European Air Ambulance became the identity increasingly familiar to assistance companies, insurers and medical partners worldwide. EAA grew out of the aeromedical expertise, infrastructure and operational experience built within LAR, bringing these capabilities to international partners and their patients.
Almost four decades later, the organisation and its subsidiaries remain rooted in a nonprofit model, independent of private investors and shareholders. Earnings are reinvested into its people, equipment and capabilities rather than distributed to external shareholders.
Flight nurses and physicians work aboard both EAA air ambulances and LAR rescue helicopters
For EAA, this translates into a highly integrated operational model, with fully owned aircraft and medical equipment and integrated medical, flight operations, maintenance and support teams. Today, two Bombardier Challenger 605s and three Learjet 45XRs are supported around the clock by the Operational Control Centre in Luxembourg, coordinating more than 500 air ambulance flights and several hundred organ flights annually.
On the rotary-wing side, LAR operates Airbus H145 rescue helicopters in Luxembourg and neighbouring regions. Primarily dedicated to emergency medical and rescue operations,they are also equipped for specialised missions, including hoist rescue and aerial firefighting.
Combined teams
Perhaps the best example of how closely both identities are connected is the medical team. Flight nurses and physicians work aboard both EAA air ambulances and LAR rescue helicopters. Combining emergency helicopter medicine with international fixedwing intensive-care transport gives them a distinctive range of skills and experience that ultimately benefits our patients.
Altogether, around 200 people work every day to continue the mission first envisioned by René Closter almost four decades ago. The ambition has never been to become the biggest aeromedical provider. Instead, it is the aim to prove every day that a relatively small organisation from Luxembourg can be among the best in class worldwide, through specialised expertise, an integrated operational model and, above all, highly committed people.
Whether responding by helicopter to an emergency close to home or crossing continents to repatriate a patient, the objective remains the same: finding the safest and most appropriate solution for the person who needs help.
EAA is not simply connected to LAR’s history. It is part of that history, carrying the same experience, values and mission into the future.
Tom Hienckes
Commercial Manager, European Air Ambulance
Tom is responsible for customer relations, account management and supporting operations across EAA’s Challenger 605 and Learjet 45XR fleet. An aviation enthusiast, he studied Aviation Management before starting his career with a global business jet operator, gaining experience in both commercial and operational roles in Luxembourg and the UK. His customer-focused and operational mindset strengthens EAA’s patient-centred mission to deliver high-quality global air ambulance services.
November 2026
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