SWISS airline aims to improve its punctuality this summer; wealthy foreigners will be allowed to shoot ibexes in Valais; and more news in our Friday roundup.
SWISS airline promises better punctuality
The national airline “has taken concrete measures to improve punctuality during the peak summer season,” the company said in a press release on Thursday.
Dissatisfied with its 68-percent on-time performance last year, the airline has hired new ground crews and various digital tools have been improved.
Also among the new features is a team of 10 “managers” tasked with optimising the critical steps between aircraft arrival and departure.
“The goal is to streamline operations and save time, particularly during peak periods,” the company said.
It has also extended connection times and planned for reserve aircraft and crews.
In its defence, the airline pointed out that two-thirds of delays “are due to external factors, such as airspace congestion, strikes in other countries, or bad weather.”
Wealthy foreigners can shoot ibex in Valais
The canton of Valais stopped allowing foreigners to hunt ibex (a wild mountain goat living in the Alps) in 2021.
This ban has now been lifted, permitting foreign and out-of-canton hunters to shoot the animal for the fee of 25,000 francs, which will be used to boost the canton’s coffers.
However, only a limited number of this protected species may be shot by hunters.
Additionally, only those with a hunting license can shoot in a presence of a gamekeeper, who determines whether a given animal can be targeted
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The Swiss prefer savings to risky investments
The findings of this survey, carried out by Moneyland consumer platforrn, are not surprising, since it is common knowledge that, on the whole, Swiss people are cautious with their assets.
According to the study, 82 percent of respondents keep part of their wealth in private accounts, and 79 percent in a savings account.
Even cash (68 percent) remains more widely used than traditional investment products.
And even though bank accounts typically yield little interest (if any), this doesn’t stop more than a third of respondents from preferring this kind of conservative but safe investment.
“Having sufficient cash reserves in a savings account is generally wise, for example, to build up an emergency fund,” according Dan Urner, investment expert at moneyland.ch.
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EasyJet to connect Geneva to Rennes this fall
Currently, EasyJet flies between the two cities, but not directly.
However, starting at the end of October, the low-cost airline will offer two non-stop weekly flights to the Breton city.
Starting on Friday, October 31st, there will be nonstop flights from Geneva to Rennes on Wednesdays and Fridays.
The airline is also launching two other routes from Switzerland: a daily flight between Zurich and Pristina, starting October 26th. And two weekly flights, on Tuesdays and Fridays, between Basel and Tangier, Morocco, starting on November 11th.
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