Due to the circumstances caused by the Covid-19 situation, the Federal Office of Civil Aviation needs to take and to communicate very short-term decisions, which may affect pilots, training organisations and aviation operators. FOCA will provide information exclusively through this channel. This page will be regularly updated.
General information
18.03.2022 - Entry requirements to Switzerland
25.03.2021 - EASA information on Corona vaccination: Safety Information Bulletin 2021-06
24.12.2020 - What consequences do the Covid-19 restrictions inflict on flight and training operations?
It is in principle no longer necessary to provide proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test or complete an entry form.
Maintaining of entry requirements for third-country nationals:
Entries for third-country nationals from risk countries (cf. list in Annex 1, item 1 of the Covid 19 Regulation 3) for stays that do not require a permit (visits, tourism) are possible only for fully vaccinated or recovered persons. The vaccination certificate is valid for 270 days, the one for recovered person 180 days.
For flight personnel:
Persons who transport passengers or goods across borders in the course of their professional activities are exempted from the requirement to be tested and to quarantine under Art. 9a of the COVID-19 Ordinance on International Passenger Transport:
- Pilots and flight instructors who fly in a work context are not required to show a negative test result and are not required to quarantine.
- Trainee pilots are not considered passengers and therefore do not have to be tested (in agreement with the FOPH).
EASA published a Safety Information Bulletin (SIB) on the subject of vaccination of aircrew and related operational recommendations. Find the bulletin for information and consideration below.
Currently, the restrictions are adjusted at short intervals by the federal government and the cantons. It is therefore essential that flight operators and schools regularly inform themselves about the various restrictions.
Further information and instructions can be found on the website of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) and the competent offices of the cantons:
- Measures and ordinances on a federal level
- You can find links to information on a cantonal level on the www.ch.ch website.
If case of uncertainties, we kindly ask the operators to contact the cantonal authorities.
Information for flight personnel «under Part-ORO»
The following information is of interest to:
Personnel (pilots, aeromedical examiners, cabin crew, examiners and instructors), which are employed by an organisation with a management system (MS) in accordance with Part-ORO of Commission Regulation (EU) 965/2012.
07.04.2022 - CAT: Aircraft disinfection
29.03.2021 - Updated attachments; 24.12.2020 - What if a training, an examination or a medical check cannot be conducted?
16.10.2020 - What if a simulator is not available or accessible?
Commercial aircraft operators should assess the risk of COVID-19 transmission from contaminated surfaces and adjust their cleaning policy accordingly, focusing on frequently touched parts of the aircraft and other potentially contaminated surfaces. Further information can be found in EASA SIB 2022-03.
The order «COVID-19: Disinfection of aircraft in commercial passenger transport as well as national rescue services» from July 14, 2021 will be canceled.
Whenever possible, companies and license holders must complete the prescribed training and examinations within the normal time limits.
Since 19 November 2020, it is no longer possible for the FOCA to make use of general derogations and exceptions.
If, despite efforts, a required training, examination or recency cannot be properly completed, it is up to the license holder or organization to apply for an individual exemption.
If a training, a check or a test must be conducted in the aircraft instead of in the simulator for reasons of availability or accessibility of a simulator, please refer to the corresponding instruction further down on this page.
In order to standardize the application and thus simplify the processing by the national authorities and the European bodies, EASA has published various instructions:
The FOCA asks everyone to follow these instructions when submitting an application and for operators to contact the assigned inspector at an early stage.
Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, several flight simulators, which would normally be used for training, checks, and tests, are not available or cannot be reached due to restrictive entry regulations. EASA legislation allows a change from simulator to aircraft if the availability or accessibility of a simulator is not given.
In the current situation (Covid-19 crisis), when assessing if a simulator is considered available or accessible according to the legal requirements, possible travel restrictions are also taken into account by FOCA (e.g. quarantine regulations for the outward or return journey).
When training, checks or tests need to be performed in the aircraft instead of in a simulator, the following procedure applies:
Applicable to all training, checks, and tests:
1. For all training, checks, and tests taking place in an aircraft instead of in a simulator an explicit permission of the authorities must be applied for.
2. The lack of availability or accessibility of a simulator must be justified in detail. Possible travel restrictions must be explained.
3. When required and therefore "mandatory" licence-relevant or operationally relevant items cannot be trained or examined, FOCA must notify this fact to EASA as an exception. The programme, the risk-assessment, and the mitigation measures must be submitted in writing.
Applicable to licence-relevant examinations (EU 1178/2011 (Aircrew)) (e.g. LPC, combined LPC/OPC):
4. The examiner must submit an application to carry out the examination in the aircraft at the latest 14 days before the examination date.
This application must be submitted to the competent inspector (pel-inspector@bazl.admin.ch).
The examination may not be carried out before the inspector has given his express permission.
The examiner must include the planned check or test programme in the application.
The test programme must be based on a risk-assessment, and on the evaluation of the mitigation measures to be taken.
5. The examiners must comply with the contents of the FOCA Examination Guide and all additionally relevant FOCA documents.
For all operations-relevant training and checks (based on EU 965/2012 (Air Ops) ORO.FC.2xx) (e.g. OPC, combined LPC/OPC), the following applies:
6. The AOC operators must ensure that the planned programme for training and checks has been approved by the competent authority (FOCA, SBOC or SBHE) (cf. ORO.FC.145 (c)).
In addition, the explicit approval of FOCA is required for each individual training or examination activity.
For "OPC only" this approval is issued by the FOCA sections SBOC or SBHE. For all other examinations (LPC and combined LPC/OPC), the authorisation is granted according to point 4 mentioned above.
7. For training and examinations within the context of EU 965/2012 ORO.FC.2xx, all requirements according to the operating manuals must be observed.
Information for flight personnel of General Aviation GA - (excl. NCC)
The following information is of interest to:
Pilots, which are not employed by an organisation with a management system (MS) in accordance with Part-ORO of Commission Regulation (EU) 965/2012.
These are mainly pilots of GA, (except pilots of NCC aircraft declared in Switzerland). These operate under a MS according to Part-ORO and follow the instructions in the corresponding section of this page.
29.03.2021 - Updated attachments; 24.12.2020 - What if a training, an examination or a medical check cannot be conducted?
16.10.2020 - What if a simulator is not available or accessible?
Whenever possible, companies and license holders must complete the prescribed training and examinations within the normal time limits.
Since 19 November 2020, it is no longer possible for the FOCA to make use of general derogations and exceptions.
If, despite efforts, a required training, examination or recency cannot be properly completed, it is up to the license holder or organization to apply for an individual exemption.
If a training, a check or a test must be conducted in the aircraft instead of in the simulator for reasons of availability or accessibility of a simulator, please refer to the corresponding instruction further down on this page.
In order to standardize the application and thus simplify the processing by the national authorities and the European bodies, EASA has published various instructions:
The FOCA asks everyone to follow these instructions when submitting an application and for operators to contact the assigned inspector at an early stage.
Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, several flight simulators, which would normally be used for training, checks, and tests, are not available or cannot be reached due to restrictive entry regulations. EASA legislation allows a change from simulator to aircraft if the availability or accessibility of a simulator is not given.
In the current situation (Covid-19 crisis), when assessing if a simulator is considered available or accessible according to the legal requirements, possible travel restrictions are also taken into account by FOCA (e.g. quarantine regulations for the outward or return journey).
When training, checks or tests need to be performed in the aircraft instead of in a simulator, the following procedure applies:
Applicable to all training, checks, and tests:
1. For all training, checks, and tests taking place in an aircraft instead of in a simulator an explicit permission of the authorities must be applied for.
2. The lack of availability or accessibility of a simulator must be justified in detail. Possible travel restrictions must be explained.
3. When required and therefore "mandatory" licence-relevant or operationally relevant items cannot be trained or examined, FOCA must notify this fact to EASA as an exception. The programme, the risk-assessment, and the mitigation measures must be submitted in writing.
Applicable to licence-relevant examinations (EU 1178/2011 (Aircrew)) (e.g. LPC, combined LPC/OPC):
4. The examiner must submit an application to carry out the examination in the aircraft at the latest 14 days before the examination date.
This application must be submitted to the competent inspector (pel-inspector@bazl.admin.ch).
The examination may not be carried out before the inspector has given his express permission.
The examiner must include the planned check or test programme in the application.
The test programme must be based on a risk-assessment, and on the evaluation of the mitigation measures to be taken.
5. The examiners must comply with the contents of the FOCA Examination Guide and all additionally relevant FOCA documents.
For all operations-relevant training and checks (based on EU 965/2012 (Air Ops) ORO.FC.2xx) (e.g. OPC, combined LPC/OPC), the following applies:
6. The AOC operators must ensure that the planned programme for training and checks has been approved by the competent authority (FOCA, SBOC or SBHE) (cf. ORO.FC.145 (c)).
In addition, the explicit approval of FOCA is required for each individual training or examination activity.
For "OPC only" this approval is issued by the FOCA sections SBOC or SBHE. For all other examinations (LPC and combined LPC/OPC), the authorisation is granted according to point 4 mentioned above.
7. For training and examinations within the context of EU 965/2012 ORO.FC.2xx, all requirements according to the operating manuals must be observed.
