While the Swiss air hub says it is “not particularly worried” following the halt of traffic at London’s Gatwick airport last week due to drone interference, it is still vulnerable to such an event.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/cl
“We could find ourselves in the same situation as Gatwick and have to close the airspace,” said Madeleine von Holzen, head of Geneva Airport communications, in a statement on Sunday.
“We have followed the events at Gatwick closely, but we are not particularly worried,” she added.
The current law of the Swiss Federal Office of Aviation prohibits flying drones above 150 metres (492 feet) in a five-kilometre radius from any airport. Meanwhile, Gatwick forbids drones to be flown at altitudes above 122 metres within one kilometre.
If a drone is identified in the Swiss prohibited zone, a warning must be sent to the pilot. If the device represents a danger, air traffic could be suspended, von Holzen said, adding that such a decision would be made jointly with Swiss air traffic controller Skyguide.
A working group bringing together Geneva Airport, Skyguide and police has already been created to identify solutions – especially technological ones – to problems associated with drone interference at airports.
More
More
Drones can be safely guided by mobile phone networks
This content was published on
Switzerland’s existing mobile telephony infrastructure should be able to guarantee the safety of drone flights in the country’s airspace.
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
Switzerland increasingly a target for people smuggling and trafficking
This content was published on
Switzerland is increasingly being targeted by organized crime. This also applies to commercial people smuggling, the fastest growing criminal market in Europe.
Swiss forests better equipped against storms 25 years after Lothar
This content was published on
Twenty-five years ago, Hurricane Lothar toppled trees like dominoes in Switzerland. Forests today are better prepared to cope with such an exceptional event, say experts.
This content was published on
The Locarno Film Festival is considering moving from the beginning of August to the second half of July for its 80th edition in 2027.
Council of Europe head Alain Berset visits Georgia
This content was published on
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, is visiting Georgia, which has been rocked by a political crisis, from Wednesday.
Swiss politician who shot at Jesus faces criminal proceedings
This content was published on
The Zurich public prosecutor's office has opened criminal proceedings against politician Sanija Ameti. It is investigating whether she disrupted freedom of religion and worship.
Switzerland must be able to control immigration, says head of business federation
This content was published on
Switzerland must be able to control immigration itself if it "exceeds the tolerable limits", says Christoph Mäder, president of Economiesuisse, the Swiss Business Federation.
This content was published on
The film Reinas by Klaudia Reynicke, a Swiss-Peruvian-Spanish co-production, has missed out on an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film.
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.
Read more
More
Curious about drones? Here are the basics
This content was published on
From technology and uses to risks and regulations, here’s a crash course (no pun intended) on this rapidly advancing technology.
Diamonds show promise in extending drone flight times
This content was published on
Lausanne-based LakeDiamond has developed a laser beam system using diamonds that could dramatically extend the flying time of drones.
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.