Federal Council Switzerland has restricted flights by US military aircraft due to the conflict in the Middle East, allowing only humanitarian, medical and technical flights. The announcement was published on the government website.
The Swiss government reviewed several US requests for flights through its airspace and rejected two requests for reconnaissance aircraft scheduled for March 15, while allowing one flight after maintenance and two transport flights on the same day.
The statement notes that since February 28, hostilities have been ongoing in the Middle East between the US, Israel and Iran, and the law of neutrality applies to these states. Flights with a potential military purpose in this conflict are prohibited, while humanitarian, medical and other transit flights are permitted.
The US maintains an annual permit for the use of clearly defined government aircraft, while others require separate permission from the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA). The government also said that requests for flights that are not related to the conflict and have a humanitarian or medical purpose will be approved, while those whose purpose is unclear or falls outside the scope of normal operations may be rejected.
