Bern and Sion, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Southeastern Valais will continue to have five small airfields high in the Alps, the Federal Council has decided as part of the country’s sustainable development review of mountain airstrips. Landing and takeoff altitude and seasonal restrictions will be put in place as part of the approval process. The Federal Aviation Office has outlined the new system, after months of study and consultations with groups that included environmentalists, tourism offices, local residents and heli-skiing fans. Four of the five exist already, but one, Unterrothorn, will disappear and be replaced by a new airstrip in the Trift region near Zermatt, which will be a base for heli-skiing. The airfields are used by mainly by pleasure craft.
The four that will be maintained are: Aeschhorn, Alphubel, Monte-Rosa glacier and the Théodule glacier. Airplanes may not use the fields from July to September, with the exception of the Théodule glacier. The new Trift airstrip may be used for heli-skiing only from December to April. Specific takeoff and landing approach lanes have been defined. And pilots will be obliged to respect landing altitudes set at 450 or 600 metres depending on the site.
The new regulations are still subject to final consultations, with residents in affected villages having 30 days to respond and canton Valais three weeks.
Switzerland in 2007 adopted the principle, after heated debate, that mountain airfields can exist, but they should be subject to careful study and regulations that respect as much as possible conflicting interests. The country has 42 airfields, in six regions. The southeastern region is the first to have gone through the sustainable development review process. The next region under review is Alestsch-Susten.