Bern and Lugano from the air

The airports in Bern and Lugano are struggling to Survive. Since the Grounding of the Ticino-based Darwin Airlines and the Bernese Skywork, the situation is coming to a head for the Airport apparently: In the fourth quarter of 2017 started and ended up in Bern around 300 lines and Charter machines, 2018, there were just 68. Showing a statistics of the Federal government. While so far the summer business grumbled, fly to this year, the holiday Charter just five destinations from Bern – once per week.

The airport Bern has painted since the Grounding of Skywork 16 of the 68 Stations, the employees are doing a short work. "The situation is precarious," says Beat Brechbühl, President of the Board of Flughafen Bern AG, which is nearly 90 percent private and 10 percent public. For months Brechbühl weibelt and his Team to the Airlines, politicians and business representatives to have the tax around to tear once again. He wants you to take the obligation: "The airport is part of the public infrastructure. You want to continue to be for a public slope, it must be the public sector willing to invest in it." Finally, the Airport will provide an annual added value of 180 million Swiss francs. "Of his future more than 100 jobs depend on the ground and in the air." In March, the Board of Directors will decide on a customized strategy and a business plan to secure the future. About the Details, he is silent.

Airport Lugano is deep in the red

Also in the Ticino, the leaders in the fight for the Fort of your Airports: aircraft movements have gone in the past four years, to the half back. According to statistics, Agno 2016, around 5200 Charter and scheduled plane took off and landed in Lugano, in the past year, there were just 2750. The reason for this From of Darwin Airlines. In 2017, the Airport wrote to a loss of 1.2 million Swiss francs. "This should also be for 2018," says airport representative Emilio Bianchi. This deficit carry as the owner, the city of Lugano and the Canton of Ticino.

"Still, we had to lay off no one." But time was of the essence. "Now the policy is in demand because it is the year 2019 will be crucial," says Bianchi. In the next few months, a business model must, take it to the Airport in the black – and an airline that was willing to ensure the idle connection to Geneva.

chagrin in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and Grenchen

As research shows, may hope the two Airports now, but on a special status. In the draft of the sectoral plan for infrastructure air travel that defines the strategy of the Swiss Confederation, Bern and Lugano will receive a preferred position. Unlike the other nine regional Airports, they appear in the new category "regional airports with a connection function" – because she spoke as a bridge from the " - and the large urban spaces of negotiation," international air transport beat and, thus, is a special public interest to enjoy.

This ensures that the other Airports for displeasure. They fear that these special draws, a redistribution of funds, which the Federal government provides annually for air-traffic control. "It is not acceptable that on the backs of us, the Smaller will be saved", is fighting Raphaël Boichat, Director of the airfield of La Chaux-de-Fonds. By the small squares in the Hobby and business aviation would offer a home, would you offer to the congested national Airports of Geneva and Zurich, by Hand. "The country's airports would not exist without us," is Boichat convinced. Because of the small airfields are the nursery of the Swiss airline pilots, the crews of the Rega and the air force.

Similar it sounds in Grenchen, where the Swiss army, as well as the Lufthansa group and thus also of the Swiss send their pilots in training. "This development is a big concern," says Conrad Stampfli, Vice-President of the Board of Directors of the aerodrome. The Federal government is reducing its support power, threatened Grenchen to lose for the training of necessary infrastructure and for customers such as Lufthansa.

the concern of The industry

The Federal office for civil aviation make a "situation assessment" to the eleven regional airports. Speaker Urs Holderegger, a study of the function and the importance of these courses in the aviation system of Switzerland, belong. More concrete designs he wants to do not: "The Work is underway. We expect the results at the end of the year."

The plight of regional airports concern in the aviation industry aroused. According to Yves Burkhardt, Secretary-General of the Aero-club of Switzerland, it would be "a disaster", would be one of the flight squares of the map disappear. Not only because of the light aviation would lose a part of your Basis. "The land resources in Switzerland are scarce. It includes a track, it is permanently lost," he says. In view of the growth of the industry and the mobility needs of the society, this would exacerbate the already existing shortage of capacity.

(Sunday newspaper)

Created: 16.03.2019, 19:11 PM