Skyguide plans to eliminate up to 220 positions, mostly at Geneva airport; SWISS airline scraps three European destinations but adds a long-haul one; and more news in our Wednesday roundup.
More job cuts ahead: Skyguide plans to eliminate up to 220 positions
In a move aimed at reducing increasingly high costs, Switzerland’s air traffic control system plans to cut up to 220 jobs by the end of 2027.
Geneva airport will be most affected by these cuts, which will be implemented in two stages: 90 positions will be eliminated from September to November, and up to 130 jobs between May and June 2027.
This announcement on Tuesday came just two days after a pharmaceutical company, Takeda, said it will eliminate 280 jobs in Opfikon, Zurich.
READ MORE: The companies in Switzerland that are cutting jobs in 2026
SWISS airline scraps three European destinations but adds a long-haul one
As several Airbus A220 aircraft in SWISS’ fleet have been grounded for months due to engine and maintenance problems, the national airline will no longer fly from Geneva to Berlin, Hamburg, and Pristina, starting in October.
“This decision is driven by the ongoing global shortage of spare parts engines of the Airbus A220,” the airline explained.
On the other hand, SWISS is adding a new long-haul destination to its route network: also from October, it will fly from Zurich to Bangalore, India.
Parcels from Chinese online sites could be subject to tax in Switzerland
Over half of Swiss consumers regularly purchase from Chinese bargain platforms like Temu and Shein. However, numerous tests have shown the risks these products pose to health, safety and the environment.
Therefore, MPs would like to subject packages from these distributors that arrive in Switzerland to tougher rules – for instance, they would have to clearly identify products that do not meet Swiss standards.
The shipments could also be subject to tax that recipients would have to pay.
Bee advocates launch an initiative for the preservation of the species
Swiss people care about animal rights and direct democracy, so it is not surprising that they have launched an initiative to save the country’s bee population.
It appears that nearly half of the approximately 600 species of wild bees are threatened and 59 species are considered extinct.
Additionally, insect biomass has declined by more than three-quarters over the past 30 years.
Faced with this alarming situation, a broad alliance has launched on Tuesday the popular initiative “For the preservation of insect pollination of cultivated and wild plants (also known as the Bee Initiative).
It aims to enshrine the protection of pollination in the Constitution
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