Thursday 03.07.2003, CET 14:05



Swiss told to improve air safety

swissinfo July 2, 2003 4:50 PM

The Swiss have been asked to pay more attention to air safety standards

The government is taking steps to improve air safety after a report revealed that standards had slipped in recent years.

The transport ministry has appointed a security expert to assist in drawing up a national aviation safety policy.

The independent report, carried out by a Dutch institute, was commissioned after the authorities were criticised in the wake of last year�s mid-air crash in Swiss-controlled airspace.

The collision between a Russian passenger plane and a cargo jet over �berlingen in southern Germany claimed the lives of 71 people, including 52 schoolchildren.

On Wednesday several hundred people took part in a memorial ceremony at the crash site near Lake Constance.

Speaking after the event, the relatives of those who died said they had yet to receive a formal apology from the Swiss and German authorities.

The accident was the latest in a series of tragedies to have struck Swiss civil aviation in the past five years.

Other incidents include the crash of Swissair Flight 111 off the coast of Canada in 1998 and two accidents near Zurich.

The report highlighted a series of shortcomings in aviation security.

�This study has shown that the lingering sense of perfection [in Switzerland] is no longer warranted in view of the safety performance over recent years,� wrote the report�s authors.

More at:
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/Swissinfo.html?siteSect=111&sid=3999432

While you are at it check out this article that appeared today in the Swiss press regarding corruption in business.

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/Swissinfo.html?siteSect=111&sid=4002251

Here is a more complete version of the below article. Of course this begs the question, what specifically are they doing about swissair 111 and the information that recently came out in the TSB's final report? I've yet to see any action from Switzerland regarding this tragedy.

http://www.nzz.ch/2003/07/02/english/page-synd3999432.html