Federal Office of Civil Aviation

The Federal Office of Civil Aviation FOCA (French Office fédéral de l' aviation civile OFAC, Italian Ufficio federale dell'Aviazione civile UFAC ) is a federal agency of the Swiss Confederation.

Task

It is responsible within the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications for the regulation of and supervision of civil aviation. For civil aviation in this sense include the staff (including air traffic controllers and pilots ), flight equipment (including aircraft and hot air balloons ) and the infrastructure (mainly airports).

In addition to it, the FOCA is responsible for the international contacts of Switzerland in the field of aviation, such as the numerous air service agreements with other states. The FOCA also granted the permits for hazardous shipments via airfreight, this concerns mainly chemical hazardous substances such as ammunition, but also biological or radioactive goods in transit. These authorizations shall be notified to the Air Force which then monitors the corresponding flight in Swiss airspace with the FLORAKOSystem. The FOCA is also the focal point for the embassies of other nations, if they want to use with a State aircraft from Swiss airspace. The FOCA granted for so-called Diplomatic Clearances who usually for 72h validity. Compliance with the Diplomatic clerance monitors the Swiss Air Force, this is authorized for the purposes of the FOCA to grant such permits ( or deny) if they are made outside the opening times of the FOCA.

In 2004, the FOCA has a budget of 75 million Swiss francs and takes his duties with 194 jobs after. The headquarters of the FOCA is located together with the Federal Office of Transport, Federal Office of Energy and the Federal Roads Office in UVEK building in Bern suburb Ittigen.

Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation

In order to preserve the factual independence in investigations relating to incidents in the aviation sector, the Office of Aircraft Accident Investigation was not affiliated with the FOCA. As at 1 November 2011, the Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation were (BFU ) and the investigative body for trains and ships ( UUS) to the Swiss Accident Investigation Board ( SUST ) merged. However, the FOCA has operational responsibility for the aircraft of SUST, whose home base of Payerne military airfield is ( ICAO: LSMP ).

  • HB- XWC Agusta A109K, former REGA helicopter
  • HB- ZSI Agusta A109SP

Swiss aviation in numbers

2003, Switzerland had

  • Three international airports,
  • Eleven regional airports,
  • 44 airfields and
  • 26 airfields for helicopters.

In this framework were

  • Two airlines
  • 150 non-scheduled airlines
  • 87 Maintenance Companies and
  • 150 flight schools operate.

In the Swiss aircraft were registered in 2003 (figures from 2002 in brackets):

Flown this were of

  • 6673 Private Pilot ( 6294 )
  • 1190 Commercial Pilot ( 1399 )
  • 2094 airline pilots ( 2185 )
  • 980 helicopter pilots (950 )
  • 2871 glider pilots ( 2977 )
  • 394 balloon drivers ( 427 )
Airship Pilot (aircraft)
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