Safety - Switzerland

PRB monitoring

▪ Skyguide achieved the RP3 EoSM targets in 2024 for all other Management Objectives than Safety Risk Management. However, Skyguide did not manage to implement improvements to Safety Risk Management as planned. The NSA has cautioned that the ANSP may not be able to achieve the required performance levels and established a corrective action plan for the ANSP.

▪ Switzerland recorded an increase in the rates of runway incursions and separation minima infringements. Both rates are below the Union-wide averages.

▪ Switzerland should ensure that the ANSP implements, in a timely and cost-efficient manner, the necessary additional measures such as enhanced processes, improved allocation of resources, targeted training, and systematic reviews. Without such actions, the achievement of the RP4 targets could be jeopardised.

Effectiveness of Safety Management (EoSM) (KPI#1)

Four out of five EoSM components of the ANSP meet the RP3 target level. Only the component “Safety Risk Management” is below 2024 target level, requiring improvement of a single question. Over 2024,” Safety Culture” was improved enabling this area to reach the target level D.

Skyguide began RP3 with all five Management Objectives being at maturity level C, hence being required to improve Safety Risk Management by one maturity level over RP3 to achieve all RP3 targets. The planned increase in maturity in 2023 was not reached and Safety Risk Management remained at maturity level C in 2024. Only one of the three questions under the Management Objective remains to be improved in one aspect of the question. A corrective action plan is in place by which the issue should be resolved by mid-2025.

Safety occurrences

Rate of runway incursions (RIs) (PI#1)

Rate of RIs per 100,000 airport movements - Switzerland
# Airport name APT movements Number of RI Rate RI per 100,000
1 Zürich 258,182 1 0.39
2 Geneva 179,335 3 1.67

Switzerland recorded a downward trend in the rate of RIs reported at the Member State level since the start of RP3, with an increase in the rate between 2023 and 2024. The rate at the Member State level remains well below the Union-wide average. The rate of RIs with ANS contribution shows the same picture as at the Member State level.

There is no global plan to reduce RI by Skyguide. Occurrences are analysed and discussed on a case-to-case basis, and depending on the contributing factors, corrective actions can be initiated.

Rate of separation minima infringements (SMIs) (PI#2)

Rate of SMI with ANS contribution per 100,000 flight hours
# ANSP
Flight hours
Number of SMIs
Rate of SMI per 100,000 flight hours
% variation in rate of SMIs
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
1 SKYGUIDE 150,242 137,471 318,606 325,987 261,650 0 2 5 3 10 0.0 5.8 1.6 0.9 3.8 NA 0% -73% -41% +315%

The rate of SMIs at the Member State level has remained below the Union-wide average throughout RP3. The rate has been fluctuating over RP3, increasing in the beginning, then falling, only to increase again in 2024. The increase in the rate of SMIs with ANS contribution has been more significant (+300%), with the number of occurrences increasing from 3 to 10.

There is no global plan to reduce SMI by Skyguide Occurrences are analysed and discussed on a case-to-case basis, and depending on the contributing factors, corrective actions can be initiated.

Quality of occurences reporting

The number of occurrences reported at the Member State level seems consistent with the occurrences reported at the ANSP level for SMIs and RIs.

Use of automated safety data recording system (ASDRS) (PI#3)

Use of automated safety data recording system - 2024
For RIs For SMIs
  ✘   ✓

Skyguide does not use automated safety data recording systems for runway incursions.