109 million machine New Federal Council jet to remain on the ground until fall
The Bombardier Global 7500, the Federal Council's new jet, will remain out of service until the end of October for retrofitting. The 109-million-euro aircraft will be fitted with a self-protection system.
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- The Federal Council's new Bombardier Global 7500 jet will be out of service until the end of October so that it can be retrofitted with a self-protection system.
- There have already been technical problems, including a take-off incident in Turkey and discussions about the size of the hangar in Bern-Belp.
- Despite the decommissioning, the Federal Council still has two other jets at its disposal as alternatives for air travel.
The Bombardier Global 7500, the new Federal Council jet, has only been in service since this year - and has already made negative headlines on several occasions.
In February, it was announced that the CHF 109 million aircraft did not fit into the federal hangar at Bern-Belp Airport. And in April, the jet was grounded in the Turkish capital Ankara due to acceleration problems during take-off.
Now the next chapter: the Federal Council has to do without the aircraft until the end of October. The reason for this is retrofitting, as reported by the "Inside Paradeplatz" portal. Until then, the Bombardier Global 7500 will remain at Bordeaux Airport in France.
However, this is a planned decommissioning: "This is not about a repair, but about the installation of the self-protection system already communicated in December 2024 on the occasion of the transfer of the aircraft to Switzerland," an army spokesperson is quoted as saying by the portal. This protects the aircraft against shoulder-launched guided missiles, for example.
To Australia without a stopover
With a length of almost 34 meters and a wingspan of almost 32 meters, the Bombardier Global 7500 is one of the largest business jets in the world.
The aircraft can carry 19 passengers, reach speeds of up to 982 kilometers per hour and cover distances of up to 14,000 kilometers - enough to fly all the way to Australia without a stopover.
However, Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis and his colleagues do not have to do without air travel: With the Citation Excel 560XL from Cessna and the Falcon 900EX from Dassault, the Federal Council has two more jets at its disposal.
