Switzerland’s federal government wants to create a database containing the personal details of air passengers to counter terrorism and crime, reported RTS. However, the project has drawn serious criticism. After the terrorist attack in the US on 11 September 2001, America’s federal government demanded access to passenger data. Destination, name, passport number, birth date and […]
How important is the “CH” sticker on Swiss cars abroad?
The “CH” sticker that Swiss drivers must legally put on their vehicles before entering another country is required under the 1968 international convention on road traffic. Under the convention, any vehicle driven outside its home territory must display country initials made up of one to three latin characters. Most European plates incorporate the required identifying […]
Moving glacier leaves Italian building in Switzerland
Two thirds of an Italian building on the Alpine border between Italy and Switzerland is now in Switzerland, reported Le Matin. The incident has triggered three years of intensive transnational negotiations with no breakthrough. The Rifugio Guide del Cervino (pictured above) sits at 3,480 metres above sea level on the border of the ski domains […]
Allowing trucks on Swiss roads at night under discussion
Under current rules trucks are not allowed on Swiss roads between 10pm and 5am and on Sundays, with some exceptions. However, the Swiss authorities are discussing the possibility of loosening these rules in order reduce daytime traffic, reported Le Matin. The Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) is considering reducing the time period at night when heavy […]
SWISS announces further flight cancellations in autumn
On 26 June 2022, SWISS announced further cancellations, this time flights scheduled between August and October, reported 20 Minutes. These cancellations follow others announced in early June 2022. A company spokesperson described the cancellations as unavoidable and due to contraints and operational challenges across the industry. In a press release the company announced it would […]
Swiss parliamentarian calls for cuts on marketing to distant tourists
Christophe Clivaz, a parliamentarian from the Green Party in Valais is demanding that subsidies given to Swiss Tourism not be used to promote tourism that involves flying, reported 20 Minutes. Switzerland is busy developing sustainable tourism under the brand Swisstainable. However, when tourism booms aviation booms with it. So how can tourism be sustainable? asks […]
Swiss airspace closed after computer failure
On 15 June 2022, Swiss airspace was closed after a computer malfunction. At 6:30 am the Swiss air navigation service provider Skyguide reported a technical malfunction and announced the closure of Swiss airspace for safety reasons. Two hours later at 8:30 am Skyguide reported that the technical malfunction had been resolved. The outage affected several […]
SWISS cancels summer flights due to staff shortages
On 7 June 2022, Swiss International Air Lines announced that around 2% of passengers on scheduled flights to destinations in Germany, Poland, UK and Los Angeles would be affected. A SWISS spokesperson said that bottlenecks at air control centres, ground and airport services in Europe and at SWISS were to blame. Personnel shortages at the […]
The low-cost Michelin-starred restaurants closest to Switzerland
Michelin-starred restaurants are synonymous with high cost. However, there is a wide price range and some offer meals for 30 Euros or less. Prices for a three-course meal at Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe go as high as 595 Euros at the Ciel Bleu in Amsterdam while descending as low as 20 Euros at the L’Antic […]
Switzerland looking at buying vaccine for monkeypox
With number of cases of monkeypox rising, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) is looking at the possibility of buying a vaccine against the disease, reported RTS. With at least three cases the number of confirmed infections in Switzerland is low. The first infection in Bern was followed by cases in Geneva and Zurich. […]
