A few years earlier, Luxembourg had established its emergency medical service (SAMU). Closter, who began his career in 1973 as an ambulance service, firefighter, explained that he and a group of colleagues, together with some committed doctors, had launched the emergency medical service. After that, they felt it was time to evolve further by creating a helicopter rescue service in the Grand Duchy, he noted.
But what sounded straightforward in theory turned out to be a long struggle. Closter recalled how he went from politician to politician and even to the civil protection service, only to face repeated refusals. Everywhere he went, the answer was clear: Luxembourg would not be getting a helicopter, he said.
Closter explained that the turning point was a serious accident on Rue de Steinsel in Bereldange, where a young boy was hit by a bin lorry as he stepped off a school bus. Closter remembered it vividly: it was July, the start of the summer holidays in France.
The boy needed urgent transport to Toul to have his foot reattached, Closter recalled. But there was no helicopter available, not even abroad, he said, adding that the child had to be taken by ambulance, with the journey taking so long that the boy ultimately lost his foot. Even today, Closter speaks about it with great emotion.
At that time, road safety set a grim picture: Closter recalled that over 50 years ago, there were 134 road deaths in Luxembourg, not counting the many seriously injured. By contrast, last year 18 people died on the roads.
Today, LAR operates six helicopters and five ambulance planes. To fly these machines, extensive experience is essential, and pilots are recruited worldwide. Closter explained that applicants must log at least 2,000 flying hours before they can be hired. Most are former military pilots, often with strong personalities, he said.
The organisation now employs around 200 people, including administrative staff, mechanics, pilots, doctors and nurses. For Closter, team spirit is paramount: he insisted that at Air Rescue, you are part of something larger, you don’t just have a job. In his view, if someone is not truly passionate and comfortable working with people, they simply cannot do this work, no matter the role.
Each helicopter mission involves a pilot, an anaesthetist doctor and an anaesthetist nurse, while ambulance flights also require a co-pilot. On average, Luxembourg Air Rescue carries out around 3,000 missions a year, though demand is far from evenly spread. Closter recalled that just a day before this interview, helicopters were dispatched 15 times. He noted that shifts can be long, beginning at sunrise and ending at sunset, with shorter hours in winter.
Addressing the Covid-19 pandemic, Closter noted that LAR had been well prepared because it was the only organisation in the world to have transported Ebola patients. He stated that at the time, they had developed a special system for their aircraft that completely isolated the patient from the crew inside a kind of tent. That training and equipment proved invaluable during the pandemic, according to Closter.
He added that many Covid patients from the Grand Est region in France were flown abroad, to Berlin or Zurich, and the gratitude expressed towards the LAR teams was considerable.
Closter was also asked about a serious incident at the end of May, when a helicopter’s rotor blades struck tree branches during take-off. The impact damaged the aircraft and caused it to shake violently, leaving the crew struggling to keep control.
The pilot nevertheless managed to bring it down in what specialists call a “hard landing”, Closter said, adding that the machine was heavily damaged and is now at Airbus being examined to determine whether it can be repaired or will be written off.
In today’s digital world, reliable internet is vital for communication. LAR therefore uses Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite system as a safety back-up. When Luxembourg’s Post network suffered a major cyberattack on 23 July that disrupted mobile and fixed phone networks as well as internet services for several hours, Closter said the LAR was relieved to have Musk’s system in place.
In 2021, after 33 years as Director-General of LAR, René Closter stepped down. Now 72, he remains President of the Board of Directors, ensuring that the organisation continues its long-standing commitment.
