ATC - Denne bør skape røre - AIN

ATC Reps Warn of Safety Fallout from Swiss Court Ruling

A Swiss federal court has confirmed the sentencing for an air traffic controller convicted of “negligent disruption of public transport,” marking the first time a controller in Switzerland has been convicted with legal effect, Swiss ATC provider Skyguide reported on July 4. The federal criminal court in Bellinzona earlier had sentenced the controller on duty during an April 12, 2013 event involving an Irish Ryanair and Portuguese TAP aircraft that “unintentionally converged” over the Napf region (Lucerne). The incident did not result in personal injury or property damage, Skyguide added.

While Skyguide said the conviction does not affect the long-term employment of the controller (who instead faces a fine), the ATC provider is concerned about the long-term safety ramifications such convictions can have. “Skyguide is disappointed with this decision and will now analyze what this means for air navigation services operations in the future,” it said. “Legal proceedings and convictions do not make aviation safer but endanger the continuous development of high safety standards in Swiss air traffic." 

“The Swiss justice system is setting new unheard-of standards for the aviation industry,” added the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations. “With this sentence, the Swiss Justice system chose to go against all advice from the aviation industry.”