BSL not accepting non-Swiss passport holders ….

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  • Alsacienne
    Participant

    A friend of mine’s son was booked on the LGW-BSL Easyjet afternoon service today. He is a UK passport holder but resides with his family in France. He, (and anyone who did not have a Swiss passport (mostly French nationals)) was denied boarding at LGW because the Swiss Government had decided that they would only allow Swiss nationals (passport holders) through immigration because of the closed border issues. (The immigration booths funnel into the baggage hall which is open to all and only when baggage has been collected, do passengers decide whether to pass through the exits into France or Switzerland (separate exits).)

    I understand that many would-be passengers from WAW faced the same situation earlier in the week.

    Please be careful out there folks … and travel home as soon as you can … if that’s what you want.


    Switzerlanding
    Participant

    I’m pretty sure the Swiss border control will be controlling the arrivals hall at BSL, we’ve got some strict measures in place here for the past week or so and I would guess they’d not overlook that obvious ‘cheat’. I could be wrong though…


    ViajeroUK
    Participant

    Interesting info, does anyone know if the Swiss passport requirement also applies to pax transitting Switzerland? (Spain-Geneva-Montreal routing)

    Some Canadian friends are ‘stuck’ in Spain and have been offered above routing as a possible escape, one is a Danish passport holder, other Canadian.

    Any advice greatly appreciated.


    Switzerlanding
    Participant

    The airline will be able to advise better but I don’t think transit PAX are allowed. https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/en/home/krankheiten/ausbrueche-epidemien-pandemien/aktuelle-ausbrueche-epidemien/novel-cov/massnahmen-des-bundes.html

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    ViajeroUK
    Participant

    Many thanks for your very helpful link Switzerlanding, have passed the information to my friends in Spain.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    Swissdiver
    Participant

    To transit implies an operating flight. From what I can see, all flights from Spain to GVA are cancelled today…

    Back to the initial post, I am puzzled. BSL is actually in France, with a secured path to Switzerland. So why should the pax enter Switzerland?


    Alsacienne
    Participant

    Swissdiver, I know it all sounds rather strange, because, yes, EAP is built on French land with gated and controlled access to Switzerland.

    However ATC and the ‘rules of the game’ are Swiss (which is why if there are French ATC strikes, BSL/MLH/EAP continues to operate and most traffic can access it by overflying Belgian and German airspace from the north and via Italy and Switzerland from the south). So in theory … the airport is Swiss, but physically constructed in France. I know this sounds odd but …

    In this case the Swiss government has imposed the same border controls as for our local land crossing … only Swiss passport holders and those with certain work permits may cross.

    It would be dodgy to say the least if you got a plane load of pax to their ticketed destination and THEN refused entry to the majority without major logistic, financial and legal issues. Best to deny boarding early in the game, let the problem flare at the airport of origin, fly those passengers (in reduced number) to their destination, speed up processing at their destination, make a swift turn around and then everyone at the destination can wash their hands of the situation. Next please!

    The problem for the youngster concerned was settled …. but a glance at the EAP/BSL/MLH shows very few daily international flights actually arriving and departing … and I suspect that the passengers will be those entitled to enter Switzerland with the documents I’ve mentioned … except for the domestic French flights which would be processed at a different location and would exit directly landside to France … and there are precious few of them.

    Just an interesting point … Qatar seem to be visiting more than I have ever seen … just a fuelling stop?

    Sorry Swissdiver if I can’t give you enough info to satisfy … these days seem to have their own rules and regulations which we just seem to have to work with at short or no notice.

    2 users thanked author for this post.
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