Airborne conflicts (Airprox)

What this relates to

The distance between aircraft, given their positions and speeds, is so small that their safety is threatened. When this situation occurs from the perspective of a pilot or air traffic controller, they refer to it as a near collision or airprox. If the near collision cannot be anticipated and averted, a mid-air collision occurs.

Example

A pilot is transporting passengers around the Alps in a light aircraft. All of a sudden there is a helicopter flying directly towards her. The two pilots manage to avoid each other at the last second; they fly past each other with just 20 metres between them.

Commentary on the 2023 figures

In 2023, pilots and air traffic control providers reported 77 airprox incidents, a slight increase compared to the previous year. Nevertheless, there were fewer cases in which safety was not guaranteed or a risk of collision existed. Conflicts between pilots flying under IFR and VFR rules have decreased by 11%; relative to the number of IFR movements in Switzerland, they have decreased by 31%. The majority of these conflicts occurred in mixed traffic in airspace class Echo (E).

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Last modification 01.05.2024