Air rescue alliance Team DRF saw a sharp rise in the number of aeromedical missions it undertook last year. The group was called upon for 34,408 missions - a rise of 1,564 over 2004.

Of these flights, 24,358 were emergency response cases; other missions involved the transportation of intensive care patients between clinics, and the repatriation of patients to their home countries for medical treatment.

Said a spokesman: "Every year, several thousand people are involved in traffic accidents in Germany. People with heart attacks and strokes find themselves in life-threatening situations. In addition, hundreds of patients per year have to be transported to German hospitals from abroad as fast as possible."

In Germany alone, Team DRF transported more than 3,300 patients who had suffered heart attacks,

which were considered life-threatening according to the emergency physicians' diagnosis. Injuries caused by accidents accounted for 3,122 call-outs.

Team DRF operates 42 HEMS bases and more than 50 helicopters (nine of which are on 24 hour standby) in Germany, Austria

and Italy. Nine of the helicopters

are on 24 hour standby. The organisation employs some 700 physicians, 500 paramedics, 180 pilots, and 80 engineers.