The Swiss flies to Israel again after three months – the pilot says: “The crew starts the flight with different emotions”

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This Sunday, Switzerland restarts its connection with Israel with five flights a week. The airline suspended its flights following the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7. We spoke with the captain who will fly the Airbus 320 from Zurich to Tel Aviv tomorrow.

The route to Tel Aviv is considered safe. Still, Swiss pilots need to prepare for the worst-case scenario. Because Israel is still under attack: Lebanese Hezbollah operates from the north, Hamas operates from Gaza, and rockets from Yemen’s Houthi rebels pose a threat from the south.

In the event of a missile attack, Israel’s Iron Dome defense system will protect the aircraft from missiles.

Two flight security officers, called “Sky Marshals” or “Tigers”, are expected to provide security on board. “Depending on the threat situation, security officers from Fedpol fly to the ship. “They check passengers and prevent criminal acts in order to prevent hijackings and thus prevent the state from being blackmailed,” the Federal Police Office said.

Mr. Scheib, was flying to Tel Aviv a problem in your family?

Stefan-Kenan Scheib: Yes, we have discussed this in detail. There were questions like: Why do you need to fly to Tel Aviv? Can’t anyone else do this? Our oldest daughter (13) was especially not thrilled. But I explained everything to him in detail. He needn’t have worried because there was probably no other flight to Switzerland that was monitored as closely as Tel Aviv.

What is the difference from other flights?

Preparation is more intense. As with all our flights, safety is our top priority. I receive a written and verbal briefing before the flight: What is the security situation on the field? What do we need to prepare for? I get more updates during the flight via the radio and the internal text message system. One hour before landing, a final safety analysis is performed before the green light is given. We also have a plan B, but this is valid for all flights.

How does it look?

We look at what alternative airports might be available for each flight. If we can’t reach Tel Aviv, we’ll end up in Cyprus. We fill in more kerosene to be flexible.

Have you had missile attack training in flight simulator?

NO. If we had to wait for an attack, we would no longer fly to Tel Aviv. For this reason, short-term security checks are carried out. If necessary, we would immediately return and land in Cyprus. Tel Aviv airport is very safe.

But what if something happens shortly before landing?

Then we do what we always do: we fly, analyze the situation, and talk to air traffic controllers to decide what the safest and best solution is.

What can you personally do to ensure safety?

We, the pilots and all our crew members, do everything we can to ensure safety on board; It’s part of everyday life for us. We practice different scenarios in the simulator, drilling ourselves over and over again until we learn the procedures and checklists in our sleep. This ensures security. Flight to Tel Aviv is no different from other flights.

Israeli airline El Al also flew from Zurich to Tel Aviv after October 7. The State Department still recommends against travel to Israel. Switzerland’s decision to resume flights now appears arbitrary.

At that time, we had suspended our flight operations not because of a travel warning, but because the situation on the ground was unpredictable. Security is always our top priority. We have experts who follow the situation meticulously on site. After very careful analysis, we concluded that we can guarantee safe flight operations. In addition, the processes in the field are now rearranged and according to the standard; for example handling. In the beginning, some of the local staff did not come to the airport at all and not all planes could be attended to. Now everything is in place and we can fly to Tel Aviv.

How do you feel shortly before leaving?

I’m flying with a good feeling because the analysis of the situation is good. I trust the entire team in the air and on the ground. They are all professionals who know what they are doing. Of course, the crew starts the flight with different emotions. We do everything we can to make sure we arrive safely and on time. The joyful welcome and embrace of our passengers’ children, parents and siblings reminds me that we are not just flying a plane from A to B, we are connecting people.

Source :Blick