Ju-Air vintage aircrafts grounded for commercial flights
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.
Switzerland commits CHF50 million to combat rural poverty worldwide
This content was published on
The Federal Council approved a contribution of CHF49.5 million ($54.1 million) for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Arrests made in raid against Turkish criminal organisation
This content was published on
A cross-border raid against a Turkish criminal organisation was conducted, including property searches in cantons Aargau and Zurich.
Up to 4,000 Swiss army soldiers to protect Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The Federal Council has authorised deployment of army personnel for the Ukraine peace conference on the Bürgenstock in June.
This content was published on
The business association, Swissmem, reports that there are increasing signs that the bottom of the downturn will be reached this year.
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.