Elitaliana
Corporate brand
UnclaimedElitaliana is an Italian helicopter-services company based in Rome, providing emergency medical aviation, rescue, aerial work, training, maintenance, and helipad services.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Elitaliana S.p.A. is an Italian helicopter operator headquartered in Rome. Its business is centered on specialized helicopter aviation rather than scheduled passenger airline service. The company holds an operating license for public transport and an Air Operator Certificate issued by Italy’s National Agency for Civil Aviation, ENAC. Since 2009, it has described its activities as covering a broad range of helicopter operations, including search and rescue, aerial work, freight transport, forest-fire prevention, disinfestation, and environmental monitoring. A major part of Elitaliana’s profile is helicopter emergency medical service, commonly known as HEMS. The company began HEMS activity in Lazio in 2001 and, from 1 July 2009, managed the Lazio regional rescue service for Ares 118 under a public tender. The Lazio operation has included 24-hour bases in Rome, Latina, and Viterbo. The company has also operated at other Italian bases, with five of its nine reported bases dedicated to helicopter rescue. These activities place Elitaliana within Italy’s public-service aviation ecosystem, where operators provide time-critical medical evacuation and rescue capabilities under contracts with regional or public authorities. Elitaliana has also developed an aviation-services structure extending beyond flight operations. Its associated Elitaliana Training Academy operates as an Approved Training Organization under Regulation (EU) 1178/2011. The group’s maintenance activity is conducted through Elitaliana Maintenance, described as an aeronautical maintenance organization certified under European Part 145 requirements. Ground Aviation Maintenance handles the design and construction of helipads, giving the organization capabilities in aviation infrastructure as well as aircraft operation and technical support. The company traces its origins to 1964 and was later refounded on the basis of the former FreeAir Helicopters business. The corporate history has included legal and commercial disputes. In 2009, Guardia di Finanza reported the brothers Alessandro and Giancarlo Giulivi in connection with an alleged tax-evasion case involving Elitaliana and Free Air Helicopter. The brothers and the company were subsequently acquitted in a 2014 ruling by the Criminal Court of Rome, which found that the alleged offense did not exist. Separately, a dispute in Ireland concerning lease installments for three EC135 T2 helicopters was resolved through a settlement before the Dublin Arbitration Center in 2013. Fleet development has included training aircraft and medium helicopters. The company’s reported fleet consisted of 18 helicopters, while the training academy operated Robinson R22 and R44 helicopters. Between 2011 and 2013, Elitaliana agreed with Finmeccanica-AgustaWestland to acquire six AW169 helicopters. At the 2014 Farnborough Air Show, it also announced the planned purchase of two AW109 Trekker helicopters. These fleet decisions were consistent with its emphasis on rescue, emergency medical operations, and other specialized aviation missions. Elitaliana’s positioning is therefore that of a vertically integrated Italian helicopter-services provider. Its distinguishing scope is the combination of public-service rescue operations, specialized aerial work, pilot training, aircraft maintenance, and helipad engineering. Publicly available reference material does not establish a broader international consumer brand presence, a stock-market listing, a parent company, or a corporate website.
History
Elitaliana was founded in 1964 and later refounded on the basis of the earlier FreeAir Helicopters business. Its subsequent development followed the expansion of Italy’s specialized helicopter sector, particularly in emergency medical transport, rescue, civil-protection support, and aerial work. The company began HEMS operations in Lazio in 2001. This activity became a central part of its identity and connected Elitaliana with regional public-service aviation. From 1 July 2009, it managed the Lazio regional rescue service for Ares 118 after winning a public tender. The reported Lazio HEMS network included 24-hour operating bases in Rome, Latina, and Viterbo. By the period described in the reference material, Elitaliana operated from nine bases in Italy, five of which were dedicated to helicopter rescue. From 2009 onward, the company operated across several helicopter sectors. In addition to search and rescue, its activities included aerial work, freight transport, forest-fire prevention, disinfestation, and environmental monitoring. It held an ENAC operating license for public transport and an Air Operator Certificate, enabling it to conduct regulated commercial helicopter operations. Elitaliana subsequently built a broader aviation-services platform. The Elitaliana Training Academy operated as an Approved Training Organization under Regulation (EU) 1178/2011. Elitaliana Maintenance provided certified aeronautical maintenance under Part 145, while Ground Aviation Maintenance worked on the design and construction of helipads. This structure allowed the organization to support aircraft operation, pilot preparation, maintenance, and ground infrastructure within related businesses. The company’s history also included legal proceedings and commercial disputes. In June 2009, Guardia di Finanza reported Alessandro and Giancarlo Giulivi in relation to an alleged tax-evasion matter involving Elitaliana and Free Air Helicopter. In 2014, after proceedings lasting several years, the Criminal Court of Rome acquitted Elitaliana and the two brothers, stating that the alleged fact did not exist. A separate dispute before an Irish court concerned lease installments for three EC135 T2 helicopters used at rescue bases in Italy and Kosovo. That matter ended with a settlement signed at the Dublin Arbitration Center on 22 March 2013. Fleet expansion was another important development. The reported company fleet comprised 18 helicopters, and the training academy operated four Robinson R22s and three Robinson R44s. Between 2011 and 2013, Elitaliana signed an agreement with Finmeccanica-AgustaWestland for six AW169 helicopters. In 2014, it announced the intended purchase of two AW109 Trekker helicopters at the Farnborough Air Show. These acquisitions reflected the company’s efforts to maintain equipment suited to rescue and other demanding specialist missions. The available reference material presents Elitaliana as an active Italian helicopter-services organization with a strong HEMS and rescue orientation. It does not provide reliable information on current ownership, a corporate website, a public listing, current executives, or the precise present-day fleet.
- 2014
Tax case acquittal
[1]The Criminal Court of Rome acquitted Elitaliana and the Giulivi brothers, finding that the alleged offense did not exist.
- 2014
AW109 Trekker announcement
[1]The company announced the planned purchase of two AW109 Trekker helicopters at the Farnborough Air Show.
- 2013
Lease dispute settled
[1]The EC135 T2 helicopter lease dispute was settled before the Dublin Arbitration Center.
- 2011
AW169 agreement period began
[1]Elitaliana entered an agreement with Finmeccanica-AgustaWestland for six AW169 helicopters during the 2011–2013 period.
- 2009
Lazio rescue-service contract began
[1]From 1 July, Elitaliana managed the Lazio regional rescue service for Ares 118 after a public tender.
- 2009
Tax-related investigation reported
[1]Guardia di Finanza reported the Giulivi brothers in an alleged tax-evasion matter involving Elitaliana and Free Air Helicopter.
- 2001
HEMS operations began in Lazio
[1]Elitaliana began helicopter emergency medical service activities in the Lazio region.
- 1964
Company founded
[1]Elitaliana was established in Italy.
Products and positioning
A specialized, vertically integrated helicopter operator focused on emergency medical and rescue aviation, supported by training, maintenance, aerial-work, and helipad capabilities.
Emergency aviation · 2001
Helicopter emergency medical service
Elitaliana’s principal public-service activity is HEMS, transporting medical teams and patients by helicopter in time-critical situations. Its Lazio operations included 24-hour bases in Rome, Latina, and Viterbo under the regional Ares 118 rescue service.
Rescue aviation
Search and rescue operations
The company provides helicopter-based search and rescue and operates multiple bases dedicated to rescue missions. These operations form part of its wider public-service and civil-protection-oriented aviation portfolio.
Helicopter services · 2009
Aerial work and specialist transport
Elitaliana’s non-HEMS operations include aerial work, freight transport, forest-fire prevention, disinfestation, and environmental monitoring. These services use helicopters for missions that require access, observation, lifting, or rapid deployment beyond conventional ground transport.
Aviation training
Elitaliana Training Academy
The Elitaliana Training Academy is an Approved Training Organization certified under Regulation (EU) 1178/2011. The academy’s reported training fleet included Robinson R22 and R44 helicopters.
Aircraft maintenance
Elitaliana Maintenance
Elitaliana Maintenance provides aeronautical maintenance and is described as certified under the European Part 145 framework, supporting the technical readiness of helicopters and related aviation operations.
Helipad infrastructure
Ground Aviation Maintenance
Ground Aviation Maintenance handles the design and construction of helipads, extending Elitaliana’s capabilities from aircraft operations into the planning and delivery of supporting ground infrastructure.
Controversies
Brand decisions
2014
Planned acquisition of AW109 Trekker helicoptersProduct launchBackground
Elitaliana continued to evaluate aircraft suited to specialized helicopter operations.
Action taken
At Farnborough, the company announced the planned purchase of two AW109 Trekker helicopters.
Aftermath
The announcement reinforced the company’s stated fleet-expansion direction, although the reference does not confirm subsequent delivery.
2011
Agreement for six AW169 helicoptersProduct launchBackground
The company sought to develop its specialist helicopter fleet for rescue and related operations.
Action taken
Elitaliana signed an agreement with Finmeccanica-AgustaWestland for six AW169 helicopters during the 2011–2013 period.
Aftermath
The agreement represented a fleet-modernization and capacity-expansion initiative.
2009
Expansion across specialist helicopter sectorsStrategyBackground
Elitaliana’s activities from 2009 covered rescue, aerial work, freight, fire prevention, disinfestation, and environmental monitoring.
Action taken
The company operated as a multi-purpose helicopter-services provider rather than limiting itself to one aviation niche.
Aftermath
This broadened service model complemented its HEMS and public-service rescue operations.
Sources1 sources
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