Air-Glaciers

What Air-Glaciers does

Air-Glaciers SA is a privately held Swiss helicopter rescue and transport company founded in 1965 by Bruno Bagnoud in Sion, Valais, with Hermann Geiger leading flight operations. The company operates six bases across Swiss alpine regions (Sion, Collombey, Leysin, Gampel, Lauterbrunnen, and Saanen/Gstaad) and is recognized as a pioneer in mountain rescue, operating without cantonal or federal subsidies. Its core business revolves around helicopter rescue missions, with an average 29-minute flight time per rescue and an average operation cost of CHF 3,800.

The company generates revenue through four primary streams: (1) annual Rescue Card subscriptions (CHF 35-80/year) covering helicopter rescue, ambulance transport, evacuation flights, search flights, and medical repatriation not covered by insurance — a recurring D2C revenue base; (2) a Training Center offering SRC-certified BLS-AED, pediatric first aid, avalanche rescue, and specialized medical courses (CHF 90-1,500 per course) for individuals, professionals, and enterprises; (3) helicopter transport and scenic flight services including gift vouchers (CHF 4.63-2,900); and (4) an e-commerce shop selling branded merchandise. Air-Glaciers also offers agricultural pest control spray services.

Air-Glaciers serves Swiss residents and Liechtenstein residents seeking financial protection against high rescue costs not covered by insurance, with a particularly strong fit among alpine sports enthusiasts, families, and outdoor adventure participants. The company employs 51-200 staff (126 visible on LinkedIn), has 10,133 LinkedIn followers, and partners with EMTACCS for specialized medical training, Hamilton as a watch brand partner, and permis.ch for driver's-license first-aid course distribution. Geographic reach is domestic Switzerland and Liechtenstein, with repatriation services extending to Swiss nationals abroad.

Name

Air-Glaciers

Legal name

Air-Glaciers SA

Website

https://air-glaciers.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Air-Glaciers SA is a privately held Swiss helicopter rescue and transport company founded in 1965, operating six alpine bases and serving Swiss and Liechtenstein residents through Rescue Card subscriptions, training courses, and aviation services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Air Rescue and Aviation Services

NAICS

Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812)

akta.pro primary industry

Mountain Safety & Patrol Services (Avalanche Training, Rescue, Medical) (THAAAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Winter Adventure & Mountain Resorts (Ski, Snowboard, Snow Activities) (THAAAAAK)

Keywords

• Helicopter rescue services
• Rescue membership card
• First aid training
• Scenic helicopter flights
• Aerial transport services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sion

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Rescue Card Subscriptions: Annual membership fees covering helicopter rescue, ambulance transport, evacuation flights, search flights, and repatriation costs not covered by insurance
2. Helicopter Transport Services: Aerial transport services including scenic flights, wildlife vaccinations, photography, filming, and general cargo transport
3. Training Center Courses: First aid and emergency training courses for individuals, professionals, and enterprises including BLS-AED, first aid for children, avalanche rescue, and specialized medical courses
4. E-commerce Shop: Sale of branded merchandise including clothing, accessories, models, books, and gift vouchers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Air-Glaciers operates helicopter rescue, ambulance transport, evacuation, search, and medical repatriation services covered by its annual Rescue Card membership, alongside a Training Center delivering certified first aid courses and on-site corporate training. The company also sells scenic helicopter flights, on-demand aerial transport and wildlife/filming operations, and aerial pest control treatments, while operating an e-commerce shop for branded merchandise.

Product overview

Air-Glaciers operates as a Swiss helicopter rescue and aviation company founded in 1965, offering a portfolio of interconnected services centered around mountain rescue and aviation. The core offerings include the Rescue Card membership program (covering helicopter rescue, ambulance transport, and repatriation), a Training Center providing first aid and rescue courses, and an e-commerce Shop selling branded merchandise. Additional services include scenic flights, helicopter transport, and agricultural spray operations. The company maintains six operational bases across Switzerland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Carte de sauvetage (Rescue Card): Rescue membership card covering helicopter rescue operations, emergency ambulance transport, evacuation flights, search flights, and medical repatriations.
• Shop Air-Glaciers
• Training Center Air-Glaciers

Products and services

• Rescue Card (Carte de Sauvetage) Annual membership program that covers helicopter rescue operations, emergency ambulance transport, evacuation flights, search flights, and medical repatriations from abroad to Switzerland for costs not covered by insurance. Available in Individual (CHF 35), Couple (CHF 70), Single-parent family (CHF 45), and Family/cattle (CHF 80) tiers, valid for 365 days from payment date.
• Training Center Courses

Quantifiable outcome

• Covers average helicopter rescue cost of CHF 3,800
• +2 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EMTACCScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Emergency Medical Training And Critical Care Support for developing and delivering specialized medical training courses including 'Essentials of Prehospital Ventilation' and 'The Difficult Airway Course: EMS'. EMTACCS is described as a leading training center specializing in intensive care and emergency medicine.
• permis.chminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for promoting first aid courses required for driver's license (Nothelferkurs) in Switzerland. Permis.ch appears as a partner in marketing the driving school first aid course.
• HamiltonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWatch brand partnership. Hamilton is listed as an official watch partner on the Air-Glaciers website.
• Télé Villars-Gryon-DiableretsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperational collaboration with ski resort operator for emergency response procedures. In winter 2024-2025, collaborated on a special procedure for rescuing people with frozen tongues on ski lift infrastructure.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• REGA (Swiss Air-Rescue): Switzerland's flagship air-rescue charity, operating rescue helicopters across the country and selling its own widely-held rescue membership (Patronat). It is the most direct competitor to Air-Glaciers' Rescue Card and core mountain rescue operations, serving the same Swiss resident and alpine-sports customer base.
• Air Zermatt: Swiss helicopter rescue and transport operator based in the Matterhorn region. It runs comparable services (helicopter rescue, transport, scenic flights, training) in the same Swiss alpine market and competes for the same customer segments as Air-Glaciers.
• Mountain Flyers 80: Swiss helicopter operator based in Sion delivering charter, transport, and tourism flights in the Alps. Operates from the same Valais hub as Air-Glaciers and competes for similar transport, scenic, and aerial-work customers.
• Heli-Lift: Swiss helicopter operator providing rescue, transport, and aerial work across Switzerland. Overlaps directly with Air-Glaciers on helicopter transport and mountain mission capabilities, targeting similar enterprise and public-sector customers.

Regional players

• Alpine Helicopters: Swiss alpine helicopter operator offering charter, scenic, and transport flights. Operates in the same mountain tourism and transport category as Air-Glaciers but focuses on different regional bases.
• HeliBernina: Helicopter operator based in the Swiss/Italian Alps region running rescue, transport, and scenic flights. Comparable to Air-Glaciers in service mix but primarily serves the Graubünden/Engadin region rather than Valais/Bernese Oberland.

Broad incumbents

• Lions Air Group: Swiss air transport and ambulance operator running fixed-wing and rotary air ambulance services, similar to Air-Glaciers' medical transport and repatriation offerings, but with a broader international patient-transfer focus.
• Swiss Helicopter: Group representing multiple Swiss helicopter bases (e.g., Heli-Linth, Heli-Rezia) offering charter, rescue, and transport services. Comparable operating model and service breadth to Air-Glaciers, though composed of regional members rather than a single unified operator.
• Heliswiss International: Swiss-based helicopter operator serving transport, charter, and work-flight customers across Europe. Overlaps with Air-Glaciers' helicopter transport and aerial work services at a broader geographic and enterprise scale.

Others

• Swiss Resuscitation Council (SRC): Swiss certification body for resuscitation and first-aid training. Air-Glaciers' Training Center delivers SRC-recognized BLS-AED courses, making SRC an adjacent ecosystem participant (and to some extent a competitive training certifier) rather than a direct commercial peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/airglaciers.fr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/air-glaciers
• Instagraminstagram.com/airglaciers_fr
• TikToktiktok.com/@airglaciers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Air-Glaciers