Technical glitch forces closure of Swiss aircraft landings and takeoffs, says air control agency

By Peter Kenny

GENEVA (AA) - A computer glitch in the air traffic control system halted take-offs and landings at Swiss airports for some hours until Wednesday morning, the Skyguide agency said.

“The Swiss air navigation service provider Skyguide experienced a technical malfunction in the early hours of this morning, which is why Swiss airspace has been closed to traffic for safety reasons,” Skyguide said in a statement.

A few hours later the agency said: “The technical malfunction at Skyguide has been resolved. The airspace closure was lifted at 8.30 am.

“Swiss airspace is now open again and air traffic over Switzerland and operations at the national airports of Geneva and Zurich are resuming.”

The agency said it regrets the incident and its consequences for its customers, partners, and for passengers.

“Skyguide is doing everything in its power to handle the flights efficiently and to keep delays to a minimum. “

Swiss International Air Lines tweeted that “arriving long-haul flights are currently being diverted to various airports in neighboring countries, including Milan, Lyon, and Vienna.”

The airline said last week it was forced to cancel 2% of its flights due to staff shortage and said Wednesday that short-haul flights are currently not taking off.

The airline closure comes during an upsurge in international air travel reported by the Geneva-based International Air Transport Association on June 9.

“With the lifting of many border restrictions, we are seeing the long-expected surge in bookings as people seek to make up for two years of lost travel opportunities,” IATA said in a statement.