Lugano-Geneva Air Links: Regazzi Initiative Moves Forward
Swiss law currently provides for a cabotage restriction that, subject to limited exceptions, prevents foreign airlines from operating domestic routes within Switzerland.
Against this backdrop, parliamentary initiative 25.447 “Ensuring Efficient Connections. Amendment to the Federal Civil Aviation Act” (text available in IT, DE, FR), submitted by Ticino member of the Council of States Fabio Regazzi and co-signed, among others, by fellow Ticino member of the Council of States Marco Chiesa and by the Geneva representatives in the Council of States, seeks to amend Article 32 of the Federal Civil Aviation Act. Under certain conditions, the proposal would allow airlines based in the EU or EFTA to operate licensed domestic routes within Switzerland.
The initiative specifically aims to promote more efficient connections between Lugano and Geneva, two major Swiss economic and financial centers, as well as important hubs for commodity trading. At present, overland travel between the two cities takes more than five hours.
On May 22, the Transport and Telecommunications Committee of the Council of States (TTC-S) conducted its preliminary review of the initiative and, by 7 votes to 3 with 2 abstentions, voted to advance it through the parliamentary process. The matter will now be reviewed by the corresponding committee of the National Council.
The initiative does not seek a general abolition of the cabotage restriction, but rather the introduction of targeted exemptions in cases where “transport needs cannot otherwise be met in an equivalent manner”. The specific conditions would subsequently be defined by the Federal Council.
Beyond the immediate scope of the proposal, the initiative highlights the issue of Ticino’s connectivity with other Swiss economic centers — a matter of particular relevance for international sectors such as commodity trading, trade finance, and related services.
