Ju-Air vintage aircrafts grounded for commercial flights
Following the decision by the aviation agency on Tuesday, the historic Ju-Air aircraft will remain grounded until further notice.
Keystone
Switzerland’s aviation agency has revoked the commercial flight license for Ju-Air flights on vintage aircraft after a fatal accident in the Alps last year. Certain private flights may still be allowed.
The Federal Office of Civil Aviation said on Tuesday that it reassessed the risks of passenger flights with vintage airplanes after Ju-Air’s 79-year-old Junkers Ju-52 crashed in southeastern Switzerland on August 4, killing all 20 people on board. It concluded that continuing commercial flights “no longer fulfills today’s safety demands”.
The decision is corroborated by the results of the accident investigations carried out by the Swiss Safety Investigation Service (SESE). Rules elsewhere in Europe are also set to be tightened this year.
In November 2018, Swiss authorities said it was temporarily grounding two Junkers Ju-52 vintage airplanes operated by the Ju-Air company based near Zurich after structural damage was discovered in the Ju-52 aircraft that crashed in August.
However, in January, in an interview in the German-language newspaper SonntagsZeitung, Kurt Waldmeier, head of the Ju-Air company, indicated that the vintage propeller planes were slated to resume flights in the next few months. The Swiss civil aviation authority told the newspaper that all three aircraft would have to prove their airworthiness before it would lift Ju-Air’s flight suspension over Swiss skies.
Following the decision by the aviation agency on Tuesday, the historic Ju-Air aircraft will remain grounded until further notice.
First large-scale alpine solar plant approved in Switzerland
This content was published on
The approval was met with satisfaction by the project's organisers, but it also brings with it a certain amount of pressure.
Medieval squirrels may have ‘helped spread leprosy’
This content was published on
An examination of squirrel remains in the United Kingdom has opened up interesting questions and possibilities in terms of the history of the disease.
Swiss money laundering office registers record number of reports
This content was published on
The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) registered a record number of reports of suspicious activity last year.
Two teens accused of planning terror attack released from custody
This content was published on
The Schaffhausen judiciary has released the two teenagers from custody who allegedly planned bomb attacks in Switzerland.
Swiss vintage planes grounded after structural damage report
This content was published on
Swiss authorities have ordered the temporary grounding of two Junkers Ju-52 vintage airplanes operated by the Ju-Air company based near Zurich.
This content was published on
A vintage plane crashed at altitude in the Swiss Alps on Saturday, in eastern Switzerland. All 20 passengers lost their lives.
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.