Veneto SUEM 118 celebrates five years of nighttime air rescue

The SUEM 118 emergency service in Veneto, Italy, is celebrating the fifth anniversary of its nighttime air rescue operations. Since the first night flight on September 29, 2021, the service has completed 776 interventions, averaging approximately 160 missions per year.

Of these missions, 392 were primary rescues and 384 were secondary transfers. The service has evolved from requiring known, illuminated landing sites to being able to operate in unmapped and unlit areas.

Starting February 1, 2026, the service will expand its capabilities to include specialized nighttime operations using hovering and winch techniques in both flatlands and mountainous terrain. This advancement is the result of integrated collaboration between Ulss 2 Marca trevigiana and Ulss 1 Dolomiti.