Bringing a gun onto a plane could soon mean jail time
The revised law is aimed at better foiling attempted terrorist attacks.
Keystone
The Swiss cabinet has recommended to parliament a revision to the federal aviation law, which would tighten security restrictions and protocols at the nation’s airports.
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swissinfo.ch and agencies
If passed, one stipulation of the revised law would be that anyone attempting to bring a gun or other dangerous object into a plane cabin would risk up to three years in prison and a CHF 20,000 ($20,269) fine.
Perhaps surprisingly, this is not currently the case in Switzerland: anyone attempting to bring a gun into a plane cabin may be arrested but not punished as long as the weapon is legal and they have a permit to carry it.
Collaboration with international authorities to simplify and streamline security, communication and navigation practices is the primary focus of the revised law.
The proposed revision would mean that airlines would be obliged to share complete passenger lists with authorities if asked. Bypassing security lines and introducing telecommunications devices that could interfere with plane navigation systems would also carry heavy legal consequences.
Communication between aircraft and airports would also be conducted entirely in English to avoid misunderstandings.
Now that the content of the draft law has been approved by the cabinet, it will be forwarded to the Swiss parliament for their consideration.
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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.