Aircraft of the special categories
The Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) adopted several revised national aviation technology ordinances in February 2025.
These will come into force on April 1, 2025. (see also "AeroRevue" 1/2025) With this revision, the regulations for the certification, manufacture and maintenance of the majority of nationally regulated aircraft - including the special categories of self-built, experimental and ultra-light - will be relaxed. For certain historic aircraft, however, the regulations will be tightened.
The last major revisions of the DETEC ordinances on the airworthiness of aircraft (VLL), aircraft manufacturing organizations (VLHb), aircraft maintenance organizations (VLIb) and aircraft maintenance personnel (VLIp) date back to the years 2008 to 2015. Since then, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has significantly relaxed the regulations for the maintenance of privately operated aircraft. The result: the relaxation has not led to any deterioration in flight safety. Switzerland is therefore aligning its national law with European regulations.
Longer operating times for components
One change concerns aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of 2730 kg that are not operated commercially. Aircraft owners can now deviate from the maximum recommended operating times for certain components, including the engine. The prerequisite is that the owners take full responsibility for this.
Further tightening for historic aircraft
With the revision of the ordinance, the final tightening of regulations for historic aircraft comes into force. The Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) developed these following the serious accident involving twenty fatalities in a Ju-52 in 2018. For example, entry in the national aircraft register of civilian historic aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of over 5700 kg is prohibited. In addition, maintenance by maintenance organizations will become mandatory for complex aircraft.
The revision also abolishes the national training path for maintenance personnel. An EASA license must now be obtained before a national maintenance license can be issued. In addition, a restricted certificate of airworthiness will be introduced for aircraft types for which a manufacturer is no longer responsible, in line with the overarching international requirements. pd