Study into Swiss aviation safety

In 2003, the Swiss Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) published a study regarding the safety of aviation in Switzerland. A post implementation audit, the report of which was published in January 2007, has measured the progress realised since then. The report subtitle, "On the way from the myth of perfection towards excellence", is revealing.

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Following several serious accidents, among which Überlingen in July 2002, Federal Councillor Moritz Leuenberger commissioned the Dutch National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR) to conduct a study of safety in Swiss civil aviation. The study, published in June 2003 and entitled "Aviation safety management in Switzerland - Recovering from the myth of perfection", extended to all the various parties involved in Swiss aviation – air traffic management, the airlines, the airport, the Federal Office of Civil Aviation and the Federal Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.

The study did not identify any major safety shortcomings. Regarding skyguide, it praised the company’s safety management, which is directly subordinated to Executive Management. Besides that, various recommendations contained in the report were already familiar to skyguide, too. The study suggested, for example, that the number of air traffic controllers should be increased – an endeavour in which skyguide has been engaged for years through intensive recruitment and training policies and programmes. The problem here is a general shortage of well-trained controllers in most of the countries in Europe, but also in the USA.

Skyguide has immediately and vigorously involved itself in the realisation of the other improvement recommendations formulated by the NLR regarding the air navigation services field.

Towards excellence
In its post implementation audit conducted during 2006, the NLR measured the progress realised since 2003. In its report, subtitled "On the way from the myth of perfection towards excellence" and published on January 22, 2007, the NLR concludes that Switzerland has made significant progress in terms of safety management. This applies to the department (DETEC) and to the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) as well as to skyguide. As far as the latter is concerned, it states that although there is still a need for further action in certain areas, skyguide's current efforts go in the right direction.