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As foreign minister and acting federal president, Ignazio Cassis (62) was a regular passenger in the Bundesrat jet last year. The Federal Council of the FDP traveled 95 times in 2022 in the Falcon registration T-785 or the federally owned Cessna. However, the flights did not always go abroad or back.
An evaluation shows that 44 trips were domestic flights. Based on the Public Information Act, Blick requested and assessed the passenger lists of all departments.
No other Bundesrat member uses the Bundesrat’s aircraft so often – especially not for travel within Switzerland. The other Federal Council members almost always deploy a helicopter within the state borders if it has to be done quickly. The then Minister of Transport, Simonetta Sommaruga (63), used the plane the least last year: only 13 times.
About half of Cassis’ flights departed from or landed in Lugano-Agno, the closest airport to his home in Montagnola TI. On average, the Minister of Foreign Affairs traveled by plane from Bern-Belp to Ticino or back once a month. No wonder cheeky tongues in the administration have long called the Federal Council jet “Taxi Ticino”.
In 2021, no other federal councilor was on the air as often as Cassis. At that point, the Secretary of State was on the air for nearly a week.
Cassis’s spokesman said when asked that the domestic flights were business trips where schedules prevented the use of another mode of transportation. “Within our country, Federal Councilor Cassis mainly travels by car or train. If these means of transport are not preferred due to deadlines, the choice falls on the plane or the helicopter, depending on the route, schedule and weather.”
No one flew around the world as often in the Bundesrat jet as Ignazio Cassis (62) last year. The Minister of Foreign Affairs took off a total of 95 times on the plane of the Federal Council. He visited Abu Dhabi, London and Prague on federally owned aircraft. His wife accompanied him on about 20 flights.
All other Bundesrat members traveled much less often by Bundesrat aircraft. Karin Keller-Sutter (59) booked 30 flights and Ueli Maurer was on the Federal Council jet on 21 trips. The public has known since last year that Alain Berset (51) flies in his spare time – professionally, the two SP federal councilors Berset and the then Transport Minister Simonetta Sommaruga (63) used the plane least often with 13 and 14 flights respectively. Guy Parmelin (63) also flew the helicopter again and again, but only 15 times with the Federal Council jet, Viola Amherd (60) 19 times.
Most of the Bundesrat members flew across Europe in federal aircraft, but also made long journeys. So Maurer traveled to Washington, as did Amherd. Last year Berset flew to the Turkish capital Ankara and Sommaruga to Ghana.
No one flew around the world as often in the Bundesrat jet as Ignazio Cassis (62) last year. The Minister of Foreign Affairs took off a total of 95 times on the plane of the Federal Council. He visited Abu Dhabi, London and Prague on federally owned aircraft. His wife accompanied him on about 20 flights.
All other Bundesrat members traveled much less often by Bundesrat aircraft. Karin Keller-Sutter (59) booked 30 flights and Ueli Maurer was on the Federal Council jet on 21 trips. The public has known since last year that Alain Berset (51) flies in his spare time – professionally, the two SP federal councilors Berset and the then Transport Minister Simonetta Sommaruga (63) used the plane least often with 13 and 14 flights respectively. Guy Parmelin (63) also flew the helicopter again and again, but only 15 times with the Federal Council jet, Viola Amherd (60) 19 times.
Most of the Bundesrat members flew across Europe in federal aircraft, but also made long journeys. So Maurer traveled to Washington, as did Amherd. Last year Berset flew to the Turkish capital Ankara and Sommaruga to Ghana.
As can also be seen from Cassis’ flight list: no one is as hospitable as the Federal Council of Ticino. The Australian ambassador flew with him on the plane, at other times the president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu (51) and her bodyguard. This was in Geneva and since Cassis was leaving to visit Bucharest, he offered to fly her, his department said when asked.
But Swiss politicians are also allowed to fly abroad with Cassis again and again, just like journalists.
Other federal councilors were also escorted in the air. Minister of Economy Guy Parmelin (63) literally brought the economy on board with Jan Atteslander. Parmelin’s department would not say where the flight with the head of foreign trade of the business umbrella organization Economiesuisse came from. Contrary to the applicable transparency rules, Mr and Mrs Schweizer are probably not allowed to find out what journey Parmelin and Atteslander undertook.
Atteslander, on the other hand, gives a candid account of the journey when Blick asks him about it. He spontaneously attended an event at the Swiss embassy in Berlin with Parmelin – and was allowed to travel back to Bern with the minister. “It is good that free seats in the Bundesrat jet are avoided,” he says of the possibility of flying.
It was not the first time that Atteslander was in the Bundesrat jet. Former Federal Councilor Johann Schneider-Ammann (71) also took him on a trip, he says.
It is not unusual for a Federal Councilor to be accompanied by a business delegation. Former federal councilor Sommaruga also had industry representatives aboard her relatively infrequent flights last year.
Unlike Karin Keller-Sutter (59). Not once did a politician or other guest fly with her last year, only her closest professional circle. Berset and Parmelin sporadically took their wives with them.
In Switzerland it is no problem if family members fly with you. Unlike in Germany, where former Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (57) was criticized for taking her son on official flights. In the past two years, however, no descendant of a Federal Councilor has appeared on the passenger list.
Source:Blick
I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.
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