Pilot may face punishment after landing on Mont Blanc
A Swiss pilot who landed a light aircraft on Mont Blanc in France faces a maximum fine of €38 (CHF42, $43) in France thanks to a legal loophole. However, Swiss aviation authorities could crack down harder, including stripping him of his licence.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/mga
The Piper aircraft touched down on Tuesday at an altitude of 4,450 metres (14,600ft), apparently at an unauthorised landing spot on Europe’s highest mountain, according to the Swiss news agency Keystone-SDA. French police intercepted two mountaineers who had flown in to climb the summit.
The Swiss Federal Office of Civil AviationExternal link (FOCA) said it had yet to be officially informed about the incident and did not know the full facts. But a FOCA spokesperson said it could take action if the pilot is found guilty of offences in France.
This could include a fine of up to CHF20,000 ($20,050) and withdrawal of the pilot’s licence, either temporarily or permanently.
The plane is licensed in Switzerland to the Geneva Aero ClubExternal link, which disputed that the landing was illegal. It told Keystone-SDA that the landing was in the Dôme du Goûter region near Mont Blanc, at a place listed as a safe flight path by the French authorities.
The club added that its aircraft, which are certified for mountain landings, do not carry out commercial flights. Its activities include alpine landings connected to mountain rescue training exercises.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
This content was published on
TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
This content was published on
The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
Ukraine peace conference should include Russia, says Chinese ambassador
This content was published on
China supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, says Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
This content was published on
The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.