The decision by Swiss air traffic control system Skyguide to close Swiss airspace for five hours earlier this year following a technical malfunction was appropriate, an external investigation has concluded.
Early on June 15 a technical problem with the air traffic control system halted take-offs and landings at Swiss airports. Flights resumed from Zurich and Geneva from 8:30am.
“The decision to close Switzerland’s airspace was appropriate as it was not possible to predict the severity of the disruption or how long it would take to resolve,” the transport ministry concluded on Monday.
The investigation also highlighted the fact that Skyguide carried out a detailed internal review of the incident and that the points and recommendations identified in this were valid and useful.
The independent investigation confirmed that the malfunction was caused by a defect in a network switch. The network component did not have the latest version of software. “It is possible that the incident of June 15, 2022, could have been prevented by updating the software earlier,” the ministry said.
Skyguide also lacked end-to-end network monitoring, which could have contributed to a more efficient analysis of the error on June 15 and thus possibly led to a faster rectification of the malfunction, it added.
A total of 77 flights were cancelled and 17 planes were re-routed to neighbouring countries. At no time was the safety of passengers threatened, Alex Bristol, director of Skyguide, told Swiss public radio, RTS, at the time.
More
More
Swiss airspace re-opens after ‘technical malfunction’
This content was published on
Switzerland has reopened its airspace after a closure on Wednesday morning for safety reasons because of a “technical malfunction”.
Gotthard traffic queue hits 20km during holiday weekend
This content was published on
The traffic jam at the Gotthard north portal reached a length of 20 kilometres on the motorway between canton Nidwalden and canton Uri.
Swiss Interior Minister visits Cannes Film Festival
This content was published on
Swiss Interior Minister left the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday after three days of intensive dialogue, meetings and film screenings.
Swiss theatre director breaks with tradition at Vienna’s Rathausplatz
This content was published on
With the proclamation of the "Free Republic of Vienna", the start of the festival on Friday evening was unusually political.
Swiss foreign minister backs Berset at Council of Europe
This content was published on
Cassis described Berset as the "ideal candidate" to help the Council realise its aim of ensuring security and peace in Europe.
Gay conversion therapy banned in Swiss canton of Valais
This content was published on
On Thursday, the canton approved a new Health Act which includes a ban on therapies aimed at changing sexual orientation or gender identity.
This content was published on
Some aspects of pro-Palestine sit-ins have gone too far, but the right to protest and debate must be upheld, the student association has said.
SWISS again cancels flights due to staff shortages
This content was published on
The Swiss flag carrier is planning to reduce the number of flights over the next few months as a result of staff shortages.
This content was published on
Air traffic controllers now have the benefit of high-performance radars. But, just as they did 30years ago, they still put their trust in their most important instruments – their eyes. (Pictures: Reuters, Keystone, RDB and Ex-press)
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.