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Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis made the most of the federal airlift service of all federal councils in 2019. Most of the time, he flew the Falcon plane. (File Image) Image: TI-PRESS
Chancellor Ignazio Cassis flew more in 2019
Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis was one of the government members who traveled the most with national airmen last year. The services of the Federal Air Transport Service (LTDB) were the least used by Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter.
In total, members of the government were in the air for almost 555 hours with LTDB planes and helicopters. This was announced by the Department of Defense (VBS) on Friday. Consequently, Cassis was on the road for 183 hours, while Keller-Sutter, however, only for 19 hours. The significant difference is also due to the departmental distribution.
Mason second
The Minister of the Environment, Simonetta Sommaruga, was also a little up in the air, she has a 33-hour flight. Defense Minister Viola Amherd was on the road a bit longer with almost 47 hours. Interior Minister Alain Berset flew 61.5 hours and Economy Minister Guy Parmelin 67.5 hours.
Finance Minister Ueli Maurer reached 86 hours and is second behind the Foreign Minister. Cassis flew more frequently with the Falcon plane, that is, during 129 of the 183 hours.
Ueli Maurer during the launch of the Bundesrat jet PC-24 on August 1, 2014. Image: KEYSTONE
Also in the departmental comparison, the external department spent more time on the air, that is, more than 81 hours. The other employees of the department flew significantly less: those of the Department of Justice for 17 hours, those of the DDPS for eleven hours and those of the Department of Finance for five hours. Employees of the interior and the environmental department did not use the services of the 2019 Federal Air Service.
In 2018, Federal Council members traveled 788 hours by helicopter or plane from the Federal Air Transport Service (LTDB). The then economy minister, Johann Schneider-Ammann, led the ranking with 229 hours. For department employees, the LTDB flew nearly 273 hours by helicopter or plane. Here the VBS of the then chief Ueli Maurer recorded most of the flight time with almost 250 hours.
30 percent less empty flights
However, according to the communication, the 2018 figures are not comparable with the 2019 figures, as the Federal Council took measures in early 2019 to make the air transport service for VIP flights better used and less based on scheduled flights.
According to the announcement, these efforts paid off: There were 30 percent fewer empty flights because the Federal Council had decided, for example, that state secretaries can also use the LTDB.
In addition, external rental hours decreased from 48 to 2.5 hours, thus reducing external costs for scheduled flights. External aircraft or helicopters are rented if VBS aircraft are already planned or under maintenance and capacities are insufficient. LTDB also recorded a reduction in administrative costs, for example, because internal compensation is no longer necessary.
With LTDB flights, training flights without passengers can also be avoided. Because all pilots must show a certain minimum number of flight hours in order to maintain their flight license. Pilots flying in the air transport service report these flight hours in their annual number of flight hours. (bal / sda)
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