Air traffic Rega wants to relocate its headquarters to Kägiswil OW
Swiss Air-Rescue (Rega) wants to relocate its headquarters to the canton of Obwalden, according to CH Media. Should this come to pass, around 200 employees would have to move their workplace from Zurich Airport to Kägiswil, as Rega CEO Ernst Kohler said.
06.06.2025, 02:38
06.06.2025, 03:06
SDA
A possible solution is emerging at Kägiswil Airport, "which we are pursuing with deep conviction", said Kohler in an interview with CH Media published on Friday.
The canton of Obwalden supports the plans. "There are currently no insurmountable hurdles," said the Rega boss. However, the canton and Rega are dependent on decisions from the federal government to ensure the necessary planning security for Swiss Air-Rescue. Kohler was optimistic about this in the interview.
Solution needed by the end of 2030
Rega has been looking for a new headquarters for ten years. Rega will have to leave its current headquarters at Zurich Airport by the end of 2030, explained Kohler. It therefore not only wants to relocate its maintenance operations to Obwalden. The headquarters with the administration, Rega's national helicopter operations center and the headquarters of Swiss Alpine Rescue are also to be relocated.
A location in Central Switzerland would be ideal, "because there are already many specialized aviation companies there and the corresponding specialists are also trained," said Kohler. If possible, the jet fleet will remain at Zurich Airport.
New bus route for employees
"The process will take some time to get used to, and we will support the employees in the process," said the Rega boss. He was convinced that Kägiswil would become an attractive place to work. "For example, we are planning a bus service from Sarnen train station to the new Rega headquarters every quarter of an hour," he said. Hybrid forms of work are also being considered. A restaurant for employees and the public is also planned.
In May last year, the Obwalden Cantonal Council laid the foundations for Rega's relocation. Parliament approved a motion to allow a Rega maintenance center or Rega Center at the airfield.
The canton of Obwalden returned the former military airfield to the federal government at the end of 2023. In December 2024, the Federal Office of Armaments (Armasuisse) granted the Obwalden Airfield Cooperative a temporary building lease for the airfield until the end of September 2025. The aim was to coordinate the various needs on the site, Armasuisse and the Federal Office of Civil Aviation announced at the time. Armasuisse will decide by mid-2025 whether civil flight operations can continue beyond September.
