The Internationale-Flug-Ambulanz e.V.(IFA) has been performing its tasks according to the statutes in the service of mankind  for more than 25 years now. This implies many years of experience in the area of national and international aid provision. Thus, it was a logical consequence that IFA started creating a modern air rescue system according to western standards in the erstwhile GDR in March 1990, long before the unification of Germany. In fact, the IFA rescue helicopter (RTH) was ready for action on the 2nd of April, 1990. At 14.03 hours the same day, the RTH went into action from the earlier station, the NVA Lazarett Leipzig/ Wiederitzsch (later Federal Armed Forces Hospital). This first German-German rescue helicopter was a milestone in the development of an air rescue system in this part of Germany. The Internationale-Flug-Ambulanz e.V. (IFA) established in December 1980 in Röttenbach near Nuremberg, accounted for the historical development in Germany with the stationing of the helicopters “Christoph 61” (RTH) and “Christoph Leipzig” (ITH). The development of the modern aid system from the air for the Leipzig/Halle area was started with the support of many partners. According to the statutes, IFA financed the costs of the “Christoph 61” project and the follow-up projects within the framework of its activities exclusively from the contributions of members, because the corresponding social insurance agencies in this part of Germany were not in a position then to function effectively as sponsors.

A modern air rescue centre came up at the Leipzig/Halle airport towards the beginning of June 1991, which the Internationale- Flug-Ambulanz e.V. operated at a very high level with rescue helicopters of the latest generation by the end of October 2005.

As the operator, IFA provided sufficient evidence on a daily basis to establish that it was in a position to meet the very demanding requirements of air rescue. After nearly 16 years of public-legal orders, IFA handed over the execution of the air rescue operation to a subsequent user. After a multiple-year administrative dispute, it was subordinated to a co-applicant for this location. From early February 1990 to the end of its service operation on the 31st of October 2005, the rescue helicopters of IFA flew more than 20,000 often life-saving sorties. The most important statute-based tasks of this strong recognized association include the return of sick patients and accident victims who are members of IFA from any point on the earth. Ambulance jets equipped with the latest gadgets and a round the clock action-ready crew consisting of experienced pilots, doctors, rescue assistants as well as matrons are available in this connection. The costs of these facilities are not low by any stretch of imagination (an ambulance flight from Belarus to Germany costs e.g., 15,000.00 Euro) and are borne fully by IFA. According to a judgment of the Federal Social Court of Kassel dated the 10th of October, 1978 the legal health insurance agencies cannot accept any return transportation charges. IFA thus plugs a loophole in German healthcare system with its service. Thousands of entitled members from the whole of Germany, mostly holiday-makers and business travelers, have been trusting IFA for many years now. This membership alone is proof of the great trust that the association established in 1980 enjoys. More and more companies are signing IFA membership forms for their employees as additional social benefit. The continuous cooperation with hundreds of doctors and 45 other overseas emergency call centres guarantee a quick and optimal assistance both worldwide and round the clock!

Röttenbach: Recently, an ambulance jet of the Internationalen-Flug-Ambulanz e.V. (IFA) picked up a two-year old Frankfurt toddler from Agadir and brought it back to its homeland. The toddler became acutely unwell during vacations and had to be admitted to the Damal Daman Hospital in Agadir. Relocation to a clinic offering maximum medical facilities in Germany was required urgently. An IFA ambulance jet equipped with the latest gadgetry, a flying “intensive care unit” with pilot, co-pilot, specialist and an assistant on board took off for Agadir barely two hours after receiving the emergency call. The action crew picked the sick toddler up from the Moroccan airport and flew to Frankfurt/Main. An ambulance waiting at the airport transported the toddler for further medical care to the University Clinic. The time taken to complete the operation from the emergency call right up to the delivery to a German clinic was just 12 hours. Another significant advantage of the IFA ambulance jet is that it provides intensive medical services to the patient in the shortest possible time.
As the family has an IFA membership, it did not have to incur any expenditure for the return flight. The costs of more than 20,000 Euro incurred on the ambulance flight will be paid fully by the Internationale-Flug-Ambulanz e.V.   IFA has spent more than 25 years in the worldwide return journey service for many thousand entitled members. IFA helped many German nationals who suffered accidents or fell sick in foreign countries, by virtue of its professional approach.
Röttenbach, the 14th of February, 2007

Leipzig: During the exhibition “15 years of Kinderluftbruecke Witta Pohl e.V.” at the mühle barby photo gallery, the Internationale- Flug- Ambulanz e.V. handed over 500.00 Euro to the Hamburg-based association known for several crucial aid actions. Witta Pohl was able to accept the cheque personally.
IFA has been supporting the association of Witta Pohl from 1993 with a life-saving ambulance deployment for the young Oleg from Kieve. The infant was born with serious deformities in the heart. The doctors had already given up on him. He was supposed to have died within 24 hours. In a dramatic action of the “Kinderluftbrücke”, the infant was flown to Kiel in an ambulance jet equipped with the latest instruments and with medical specialists on board, overcoming all bureaucratic red-tape so to say overnight. He was operated on successfully there. The costs of the ambulance deployment amounting to approximately 30,000 DM were naturally borne by IFA.
In its history of more than 25 years, the IFA was able to save many persons in distress by undertaking numerous national and international aid actions.
Leipzig, the 23rd of October 2006

Leipzig/Benndorf: The Internationale-Flug-Ambulanz e.V. (IFA) has been sponsoring the annual elimination round for the last five years with two more than 70 cm high tournament cups. These cups serve as victory trophies of the men’s and women’s teams. There were 37 competitors in this year’s tournament. Nearly 350 fire brigade men and women participated in the tournaments. The prized IFA tournament cups for the winner went to the women’s fire brigade team of Hayna and the men’s fire brigade team of the Voluntary Fire Brigade of Benndorf I. IFA honours the strong commitment and the high degree of action-readiness of the fire brigades of the Delitzsch district.
IFA is based in Leipzig. It has been active for more than 25 years round the clock in providing worldwide return flight services to association members via ambulance jets equipped with the latest gadgets.
Leipzig, the 26th of August, 2007

Leipzig: The Internationale- Flug- Ambulanz e.V. (IFA) donated furnishings and technical instruments of the value of approximately 5,000 Euro recently to the Voluntary Fire Brigade of Wolkau. The objects ranging from writing table, copier and printer right up to a kitchen belonged to the inventory of the erstwhile IFA air rescue centre at the Leipzig-Halle airport. Shortly before ending its operations as a public-legal air rescue operation in the Autumn of 2005, IFA had refurbished its base with new furnishings. For the Wolkau fire brigade however, these are certainly objects that they need, but more than anything else these will help the fire brigade fill up its functional rooms in the new fire brigade premises.
The IFA handed over this material donation gladly to a voluntary fire brigade because it holds the honorary office and the associated high action-readiness of the individual comrades in high esteem.
Leipzig, the 16th of August 2006

Röttenbach: The Internationale- Flug- Ambulanz e.V. (IFA) established on December 18, 1980 and based-in Röttenbach has completed 25 years.
The IFA has been active in return-journey service all these years. Accident victims and sick persons who are members of IFA are flown back to their homes free of cost from any corner of the world. The return journeys are organized professionally through the IFA alarm head office at the Nuremberg Airport, which is located in the immediate vicinity of the base of the ambulance jets. The member head office in Röttenbach has 15 employees. Thus, the association is an important employer in this region.
The IFA developed rapidly after 1989 into a strong and recognized community. Its president, Jürgen Schlögel, a high-level Nuremberg-based salesman, put in place a contemporary management and a new strategy for the association.
A logical consequence of this was that the IFA created a modern air-rescue centre according to western standards at Leipzig in the erstwhile DDR well before the unification of the two German states, and operated it successfully up to 31.10.2005. Its helicopters undertook nearly 21,000 flights during this period, which often turned out to be life-saving initiatives.
The IFA has several years of experience in the area of national and international assistance provision.
Röttenbach, den 19. Dezember 2005

Leipzig: The operative order of Internationalen – Flug- Ambulanz e.V. (IFA) at air rescue location of Leipzig/Halle ended on the 31st of October, 2005. In the more than 15 years of successful management of a modern air rescue centre, IFA displayed professionalism as well as reliability. After a protracted administrative dispute on account of an allotment decision by the Saxony State Interior Ministry (SMI), the recognized Leipzig-based association was subordinated to a competitor from Bayern.
The IFA opened this location on the 2nd of April, 1990. At that time it was the first organization to setup an air rescue centre according to Western standards and it managed the centre without any interruption long before the unification of the two Germanys. Its two helicopters flew more than 20,000 sorties during this period. These were often live-saving initiatives. The elementary components of the air rescue centre were always helicopters of the latest generation and a constantly high standard of technical education.
IFA will always have a permanent place in the more than 30 years’ history of German air rescue by virtue of its pioneering role and the long-term management of the Leipzig/Halle rescue helicopter location.
Leipzig, den 31. Oktober 2005

Your contact partner:
IFA Media Office
Karl- Heinz Gruhn
Tel: 0341/9881890
Fax: 0341/9881891
Mobile: 0171/4340313
E- Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it



Media information
Medical data transmission from the airplane
- Emergency doctors present an innovation -
Leipzig/Munich: The Internationale- Flug- Ambulanz e.V. (IFA) and the Institut für Medizinisches Sicherheits- und Notfallmanagement e.V. (IMS) (Institute of Medical Safety and Emergency Management) presented an innovation in German ambulance service during a symposium at the Technology Forum of the German Museum in Munich. During the international experts meeting which discussed the current medical, technical and organizational aspects of return flight service, the event organizers showed for the first time in Germany, a transmission of patient data (EKG a ultrasound images) from a flying IFA ambulance jet with the help of modern satellite systems. The advantage of this communication system is that patient data required quickly can be transmitted from any place in the world to a flying ambulance jet and vice versa.
The IMS and the IFA have been using this modern transmission system for quite some time now.
The Internationale- Flug- Ambulanz e.V. (IFA) has been active in worldwide return journey service for 25 years.
It cooperates with hundreds of doctors and another 45 overseas emergency call centres.

Your contact partner:
IFA Media Office
Karl- Heinz Gruhn
Tel: 0341/9881890
Fax: 0341/9881891
Mobile: 0171/4340313
E- Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it