Laws tightened for flying historic aircraft

An undated picture of three Ju-52 planes © Susanne Venditti

Four years after the crash of a vintage Ju-52 plane in which 20 people died, the Swiss government has tightened the regulations for flights with historic aircraft.

Commercial flights will no longer be permitted, and a maximum of nine people may fly on private flights, no more than six of whom may be passengers.

The government announced its decision on Wednesday based on an analysis by the Federal Office of Civil Aviation. To this end, it has amended the Aviation Ordinance. In doing so, it wants to take better account of the risks associated with flights with historic aircraft, it said in a statementExternal link.

The new regulations would limit passenger flights to a level that is common in general non-commercial light aviation, it said.

Twenty people died when a historic Junkers Ju-52 went down in the Swiss Alps on August 4, 2018: two pilots, a flight attendant and 17 passengers.

Last year safety investigators concluded that pilot error had led to the accident, the worst in Swiss aviation since the 2001 crash of a Crossair plane at Bassersdorf, canton Zurich, in which 24 people died.

The new requirements for historic aircraft will come into force on October 1.