This reaffirms the non-profit air rescue organisation's ongoing commitment to maximum safety in air traffic - for the protection of the patients entrusted to it, its crews and all air traffic participants involved.
The new principles and guidelines for aviation safety in Germany are the first uniform nationwide basis for prioritising aviation safety. In addition to authorities, all players in the aviation industry – companies, organisations, associations and clubs – are invited to commit to these guidelines and integrate them into their management systems.
"The recently published guidelines reinforce the open safety culture that we have been actively practising for decades. It is firmly anchored in our internal processes and manuals – and is continuously being developed further." Examples of the prioritisation of safety at DRF Luftrettung include the transparent and proactive handling of safety-relevant incidents and errors as part of the DRF Luftrettung safety management system, the provision of the necessary human resources for the further development and implementation of safety in all areas of DRF Luftrettung and the targeted promotion of a Just Culture.
Going above and beyond the call of duty
DRF Luftrettung is regularly involved in national and international safety forums, integrates safetyguidelines into practical training courses and organises ‘integrative training’ for its crews. All crew members – pilot, emergency paramedic or HEMS TC and the emergency physician – are trained together to ensure optimum cooperation and operational safety.
Another component of this safety culture is the consistent use of innovative tools in risk management: since 2019, DRF Luftrettung has been using a digital platform adapted to the requirements of air rescue for the systematic recording and evaluation of risk-relevant events in daily operations.
This makes it clear that safety is not just a claim for DRF Luftrettung, but a lived practice, day after day. At the end of 2024, DRF Luftrettung received the HRO (High Reliability Organisations) Award for its sustainable commitment.
Aviation Safety Management of the Federal Republic of Germany
BMDV - The Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport establishes the framework for safe and sustainable civil aviation in Germany based on applicable international, European, and national regulations. This includes, among other things, the publication of a safety program, the " State Safety Program." Within the framework of aviation safety management, the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport assumes responsibility for the preparation, adoption, and updating of the German Aviation Safety Program ( State Safety Program – SSP) and its annexes. The program focuses on technical and operational safety. Defense against external threats (aviation security ) is not part of the program.
Safety management mechanisms comprise system-level methods for maintaining and improving aviation safety. The German Aviation Safety Program describes our safety management system at the national level. As a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization, Germany is obligated to implement such a program. Accordingly, the program is based on the requirements of Annex 19 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, which includes four sectors and eight so-called critical safety elements. These sectors are:
- Aviation safety principles and guidelines, objectives and resources
- Risk management
- Ensuring security
- Promoting safety, communication
The National Aviation Safety Plan contains concrete measures to improve aviation safety in Germany
National aviation safety is coordinated and systematically managed through the respective aviation safety program. The national aviation safety plan (German Plan for Aviation Safety, GPAS) describes concrete measures to continuously improve aviation safety and address current issues, hazards, and risks. In developing this plan, Germany is guided by the Global Aviation Safety Plan ( GASP ) of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the European Plan for Aviation Safety , which is regularly published by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
The GPAS creates a common basic understanding of aviation safety at the national level and for the approaches to achieving this in detail for specific topics. This means that Articles 5 to 8 of the EASA General Regulation (Regulation ( EU ) 2018/1139) are applied in Germany, which requires Member States of the European Union to draw up a national safety program and plan for aviation safety. The program and plan concern, on the one hand, the aviation administration, i.e. all authorities and bodies responsible for aviation safety in Germany, and, on the other hand, the companies and service providers active in the various aviation sectors ( e.g. air traffic control, flight operations, training organizations and training companies, airfields, technical companies and associations).
Principles and guidelines of aviation safety in Germany promote a common basic understanding
To emphasize the high priority given to aviation safety, national principles and guidelines for aviation safety were developed and implemented, the so-called " State Safety Policy ." The goal of these common principles and guidelines is to promote a positive safety culture, open exchange on aviation safety issues, and cooperation among aviation stakeholders in Germany. These principles and guidelines are intended to place aviation safety at the heart of daily operations as the basis for all actions.
The Aviation Safety Principles and Guidelines create, for the first time, a common basis for prioritizing aviation safety across all German aviation authorities. Other stakeholders in the aviation industry ( including companies, organizations, associations, and clubs) also have the opportunity to commit to the German Aviation Safety Principles and Guidelines and incorporate them into their own management systems.
Aviation safety reports
Both Regulation ( EU ) No. 996/2010 and Regulation ( EU ) No. 376/2014 require EU Member States to publish an annual report to inform the public about the current level of safety in civil aviation. Aviation safety reports are an important component of government aviation safety management documentation.
See also |
DRF Luftrettung German air rescue 
Air Medical Ambulance Services 
