Newsletter Autumn 2023

In cooperation with Flughafen Zürich AG, AEROSUISSE was able to forge an alliance with other operators of critical infrastructures in telecommunications and transport in order to remove – together with the umbrella organisations of the industry – the obligation to report vulnerabilities from the Information Security Act. A reporting obligation would have led to operators of critical infrastructures reporting vulnerabilities of their system to an authority. AEROSUISSE has successfully campaigned with the alliance to ensure that critical infrastructure data requiring special protection should not be subject to a reporting obligation in the interests of security.

22.073 Informationssicherheitsgesetz. Änderung

As part of their operating concession, the national airports are granted reliefs with regard to noise and are allowed to exceed the immission limits of the Swiss Confederation. This leads to a more difficult settlement development, especially in areas of approach and departure routes. With the revision of the EPA, building development is to be permitted in areas affected by aircraft noise, although the limits cannot even be partially complied with.

AEROSUISSE has been invited by the Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy Committee (ESPEC) of the Council of States to comment on this revision. AEROSUISSE will propose to the Commission that, instead of a proliferation of options for overriding noise limits, a clear binding concept with transparent limits appropriate to the situation should enable building development in areas affected by aircraft noise. AEROSUISSE is convinced that with such a concept the necessary legal and planning certainty is better guaranteed than is the case with the Federal Council's proposal.

22.085 Umweltschutzgesetz. Änderung

In the new version of the CO2 Act (22.061), the Federal Council wants to encourage the population to protect the climate with incentives instead of prohibitions. The goal is to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990. The Council of States voted in favour by 34 votes to 0.

AEROSUISSE had successfully campaigned for the proceeds from the auctioning of aviation emission rights not to end up in the general federal coffers, but to be used for the promotion of synthetic fuels. At the same time, AEROSUISSE was also able to prevent a proposal by the Green Councillor of States Lisa Mazzone from gaining acceptance, a proposal to introduce a general aviation levy for business aviation. AEROSUISSE argued that this would take money away from business aviation, which would then not be invested in the reduction of CO2 emissions, especially SAF. In addition, the small percentage of fewer business flights departing from Switzerland amounts – seen globally – to nearly nothing.

Within the framework of the deliberations on the CO2 Act in the Commission and in the winter session of the National Council, AEROSUISSE will point out the measures with which aviation will become CO2-neutral. The industry is called upon to make visible its efforts regarding renewable aviation fuels, more efficient aircraft, optimised approach and departure procedures and a sustainable further development of the airport infrastructure.

On the first weekend in September, Zurich Airport celebrated its 75th birthday with a big event. A total of around 140,000 people visited the three-day festival with lots of attractions on the ground and the Patrouille Suisse in the air on Friday and Sunday. Their performance – in formation with an Embraer E190-E2 from Helvetic Airways – attracted so many spectators on Sunday that bottlenecks occurred getting to and from the festival site. This is proof of the enthusiasm of the population for flying and aviation.

At the official public ceremony on Friday evening, Alain Berset, President of the Swiss Confederation, Carmen Walker Späh, Zurich Cantonal Councillor, and Josef Felder, Chairman of Zurich Airport’s Board of Directors, emphasised the importance of the airport for Switzerland in the past, present and future.

Flughafenfest Zürich

We are delighted that the head of DETEC, Federal Councillor Albert Rösti, has confirmed that he will be attending our 2024 General Assembly. Please mark the date in your agenda now:

Friday, 31 May 2024, 1.30 p.m. to 5 p.m., at Bern-Belp Airport.