Due to the circumstances caused by the Covid-19 epidemic, Switzerland declared the ‘extraordinary situation’. The Federal office of civil aviation needs to take and communicate very short term decisions affecting pilots, training organizations and the aviation operators.
This page will be regularly updated.
If you have liquidity problems and you have difficulties to pay FOCA's bills, you can contact us for a deferral of payment or send us the form to ask us to pay in installments. Details, contact and form are available on the page Invoicing and payment options.
With immediate effect, after departing from areas with high risk transmission of COVID-19 all aircraft for the commercial air transport of passengers must be cleaned after each flight and completely disinfected using an agent suitable for aviation purposes.
Airports situated in areas with high risk of transmission of COVID-19 are listed in Annex 1 of the EASA Directive 2020-01. Furthermore, aircraft used for the commercial air transport of passengers must be equipped with one or more boxes of personal protective gear (Universal Precaution Kits).
In this regard, FOCA has issued an order to all holders of an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) issued by the Federal Office of Civil Aviation. The FOCA Operational Directive OD 2020-01 «Measures to Prevent the Spread of Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2» dated 24 March 2020 forms an integral part of the present order and regulates the details of the arrangement.
Validity of dangerous goods training for all personnel categories
According to FOCA communication dated March 18th, 2020, all dangerous goods training certificates were extended until the end of July 2020.
In the meantime, (on March 21st, 2020) all training requirements for the personnel of operator and their service providers according to (EU) No 965/2012 Part-ORO and Part-SPA were extended by FOCA with immediate effect for 4 months (but no later than November 19th, 2020).
The same validity extension also applies to all personnel categories in accordance with ICAO Technical Regulations, Part 1, Chapter 4.
The following conditions apply:
1. Since March 21st, 2020 all dangerous goods training certificates (personnel categories 1 to 17, as well as categories A, B, and C for “Designated Postal Operators”) were extended by 4 months (but no later than November 19th, 2020). The renewal of the certificates is to be calculated based on the expiry date of the last certificate.
2. Mitigation measures: the employer must ensure that employees possess the necessary skills to carry out their work during the extension period. As a means of support, «briefings / leaflets / bulletins / online tools» can for example be used.
3. When applying this extraordinary extension, point 1 (e.g. with a remark in the training certificate) and point 2 (e.g. with “read and sign”) must be documented and be submitted during surveillance activities.
4. Should the current situation and the recommendations of the Federal Council normalise, the previously valid procedures will be applicable again.
5. These validity periods may be further extended by FOCA depending on the unfolding of the pandemic.
Dangerous goods training according Annex 18, ICAO TIs, Part 1, Chapter 4:
Due to the accelerated spread of the Corona virus and the restrictions imposed by the Federal Council certain training cannot be completed on schedule.
Under the circumstances FOCA has taken the following decision regarding the validity of training certificates for the transport of dangerous goods by air:
1. Aufgrund der aktuellen Lage wegen COVID-19 und basierend auf Regulation 1139/2018 (EU) Art. 71 Flexibility Provisions und der damit verbundenen Meldung an EASA gelten für Flugverkehrsleiter- und Fluginformationsdienst-Lizenzeinträge flexiblere Bedingungen.
2. Für die Erfüllung der Bedingungen zur Ausstellung von Lizenzen gelten zusätzliche 4 Monate. Diese Frist kann je nach Entwicklung der Pandemie-Lage vom BAZL um weitere 4 Monate erweitert werden, welche auf der Homepage des BAZL publiziert und den Organisationen aktiv mitgeteilt wird.
3. Betroffen von der Frist gemäss Ziffer 2 sind namentlich folgende Bereiche der Regulation (EU) 2015/340:
4. Anträge zur Ausstellung einer Lizenz sind weiterhin standardmässig auf den bekannten Wegen einzureichen.
Sofern die flexiblen Bedingungen gemäss Ziffer 1 und 2 genutzt werden sind diese für jeden betroffenen Lizenzeintrag einzeln aufzuführen und zusammen mit dem Antrag einzureichen.
5. Das BAZL stellt die Lizenzen weiterhin standardmässig auf den bekannten Wegen aus. Das BAZL vermerkt auf jeder einzelnen Lizenz für welche Bereiche gemäss Ziffer 3 die Flexibility Provisions angewendet wurden.
6. Die Ausbildungsorganisation stellt sicher, dass die Lizenzinhaber, welche von der Frist gemäss Ziffer 2 Gebrauch gemacht haben, die Bedingungen innerhalb dieser Frist erfüllen.
7. Für die Dauer dem vom Bundesrat erlassenen «ausserordentlichen Lage» gemäss Epidemien Gesetz gilt zusätzlich eine temporäre Reduktion der aktuell gültigen Currency Bestimmungen um 50%, sowie eine Flexibilisierung der Ausbildungsmethode für durchgeführte und bereits genehmigte Kurse, sowie für Auffrischungs- und Um-Schulungen.
8. Nach Ablauf der Fristen gemäss Ziffer 2 und veränderte Bestimmungen gemäss Ziffer 7 in Bezug auf die Lage sind die normalen Verfahren wieder einzuhalten.
Until further notice, the counter services for the aircraft registry and pilot licenses will remain closed similarly to the cantonal administration authorities. The services are reachable via phone or Email.
Any type of flight exams on aeroplanes or in simulators are currently not considered appropriate. With immediate effect, for pilots employed by an organisation with a management system in accordance with Part-ORO of Commission Regulation (EU) 965/2012, the validity of all class ratings, type ratings, and instrument ratings, as well as language proficiency certificates will be extended by 4 months (at the latest until 19.11.2020).
Any training requirements according to Part-ORO and Part-SPA will also be extended by 4 months (at the latest until 19.11.2020) with immediate effect.
Depending on the unfolding of the pandemic, the date of validity may be further extended by FOCA.
Affected pilots will have to undergo a refresher training and to be assessed by their employer to verify that the necessary skills are still present. Further details are specified in the document «Attachment to Part-FCL Licences and Part-MED certificates - Part-ORO».
Licence holders are requested to print out the enclosed «Attachment to Part-FCL Licences and Part-MED certificates - Part-ORO» and to carry it together with their licence.
Should the current situation and recommendations normalise to the effect that regular revalidations will be possible again, the previously valid procedures will be applicable again. FOCA will inform accordingly. All recency requirements (Part-FCL.060 of Commission Regulation (EU) 1178/2011) will remain in force and must be ensured prior to any corresponding operation.
For PPL/SPL/BPL, and LAPL, FOCA is working on a supplementary exemption with the same aim. We also consider in this area any revalidation not to be appropriate at this time.
All valid instructors’ authorisations and examiners’ authorisations for the personnel mentioned under «pilots and licences» will be extended to 19.11.2020. This also applies to AME.
Licence holders are requested to print out the enclosed «Attachment to Part-FCL Licences and Part-MED certificates - Part-ORO» and to carry it together with their licence.Sämtliche gültigen Instruktoren- und Prüferberechtigungen für das unter «Piloten und Lizenzen» aufgeführte Personal wird bis zum 19.11.2020 verlängert. Dies gilt auch für AME.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: This exemption requires a still valid «Medical», which does not include other requirements than VDL, VNL, and VML. Holders of «Medical» with other or further ranging stipulations do not qualify for this exemption.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: This exemption requires a still valid medical report, which does not include other requirements than VDL, VNL, and VML.
Due to the measures taken by the Federal Council on 16.03.2020 and the stricter measures imposed on 20.03.2020 to intensify the containment of COVID-19, no theory exams, radiotelephone exams, and language proficiency exams will take place in our training centres until 26.04.2020, and possibly beyond.
The 18 months deadline for theory exams for affected candidates will be extended for at least as long as the examination centres will remain closed.
Language Proficiency: For those pilots who cannot benefit from the current exemption (see section «pilot licences and examination»), FOCA is in the process of developing a separate exemption for an uncomplicated extension of the validity period. We kindly ask you to consult this webpage on a regular basis.
Presence learning events taking place in training organizations are currently prohibited in accordance with the ordinance COVID-19-Verordnung 2, Art.5. In cases where there is a predominate public interest, cantonal authorities may grant exemptions according to Art. 7. Such authorizations have been granted amongst others for «non-deferrable recurrent trainings».
With the submission of a corresponding exemption to the EU commission by FOCA, it is assured, that no licenses or similar authorizations, affiliated with a public interest, will expire.
For this reason, until further notice, the competent cantonal authorities will no longer issue special authorizations for «non-deferrable recurrent trainings».
Last modification 26.03.2020
