The pilot decided to make a scenic detour while in a holding pattern over Zurich airport until it was the plane’s turn to land. “Let me show you the best of Switzerland,” he said over the loudspeakers, according to passenger Lars Jensen.
The unexpected in-flight menu: the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, the Matterhorn and the Aletsch Glacier.
“Pilots are permitted to fly different holding patterns [for example over the Alps instead of over the central plateau] if authorised by air traffic control,” a spokesperson for Swiss International Air Lines told swissinfo.ch.
“Safety is always our first priority. However, holding patterns over the Alps do not differ from holding patterns elsewhere in terms of safety or concerning arrival time.”
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Swiss rental housing listings increase for the first time in three years
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For the first time in three years, the number of advertisements for rental accommodation is on the rise, but this does not dampen demand, quite the contrary. In Ticino, the average duration of an advertisement published on the main portals is 30 days.
Switzerland doing relatively well when it comes to child vaccination rates
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Progress in child immunisation has stalled. For decades, the number of children vaccinated against measles, polio and other diseases has risen. But since 2010, vaccination rates have stagnated in many countries, according to a study.
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Human remains were found and recovered on Tuesday as part of a search operation in the buried Valais mountain village of Blatten. Formal identification is underway, according to the Valais cantonal police.
Switzerland and the EU sign declaration on transitional arrangements
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They set out the terms of cooperation for the period until the desired entry into force of the package of bilateral agreements.
Swiss price watchdog negotiates lower fees for card payments
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Small businesses in Switzerland will have to pay fewer fees for cashless payments from customers over the next few years.
Lakes in Central Switzerland have best water quality for bathing
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Anyone who swims in a lake in Central Switzerland need have no fear of infection from intestinal bacteria. The water samples taken at 65 bathing sites in 13 lakes all have good to excellent bathing water quality.
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Unknown assailants have stolen a historic ring from a Basel museum. The stolen item was a gift from Russian Tsar Alexander I to his host in Basel in 1814.
More May hotel guests in Basel than at any time in past 90 years
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Basel hotels recorded 150,854 overnight stays for the Eurovision Song Contest in May. This corresponds to a year-on-year increase of 8.4%.
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Jumbolinos wheeled out to pasture
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Swiss, which rose from the ashes of Swissair in 2002, took on a total of 21 Avro planesExternal link from the former Swissair daughter company Crossair. For many years Jumbolinos were the backbone of Swiss’s European fleet, but as part of the latest fleet update, since 2016 they have been replaced by the new mid-range…
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Electric aeroplane enthusiasts recently met in Switzerland to show off the latest technologies that could influence the air travel of tomorrow.
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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.