Ju-Air vintage aircrafts grounded for commercial flights
Following the decision by the aviation agency on Tuesday, the historic Ju-Air aircraft will remain grounded until further notice.
Keystone
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.
Popular Stories
More
Foreign Affairs
How a top Swiss university is screening Chinese students
Two decades after tsunami, Swiss tourists flock to Southeast Asia
This content was published on
Twenty years after a catastrophic tsunami in Southeast Asia, the region is again a top destination for Swiss, including at Christmas.
Swiss forests better equipped for storms 25 years after Lothar
This content was published on
Twenty-five years after Hurricane Lothar wreaked havoc in Switzerland, the country’s forests are now better prepared, experts say.
Media: Swiss medical services done abroad are billed at Swiss rates
This content was published on
In Switzerland, some medical services carried out abroad are still billed at Swiss rates, despite costing less, RTS reports.
This content was published on
Sophie Hediger, a member of the Swiss national snowboard cross team, has died in an avalanche in Arosa. She was 26 years old.
This content was published on
Several Swiss films exceeded the 100,000 admissions mark worldwide in 2024 and received widespread praise at international film festivals.
Swiss Alpine resorts covered in white gold for Christmas
This content was published on
Many areas at low altitudes in Switzerland are enjoying a blanket of snow. In the mountains, intense precipitation has delighted skiers.
SWISS makes emergency landing in Austria after smoke in cockpit
This content was published on
Swiss International Airlines (SWISS) made an emergency landing of an Airbus in Graz, Austria on Monday evening after engine problems.
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.