Valais voters to decide whether to fund Sitten airport

Valais voters will decide on November 29 whether to approve a law providing long-term public support for Sitten airport, SRF reports. The proposal would put the airport under a new company majority-owned by the city of Sitten and the canton.

The airport is used by private jets carrying visitors to nearby ski resorts, rescue helicopters and flight students. Starjet, the only private jet company based there, rents out entire aircraft. “The customer books and pays as if it were a taxi: they call us, we pick them up and take them where they want to go,” said its pilot and managing director, Nicolas Ducommun.

The city currently operates the airport, but its revenue does not cover costs. Last year, the city and canton had to provide an additional three million Swiss francs. Under the government’s plan, the new company would receive public money for duties including air traffic control and safe operations. The canton estimates that the airport would receive between three million and six million francs a year, with the amount depending partly on federal contributions to air safety. All Valais municipalities would contribute alongside the canton and city.

The cantonal government says the change would give it greater oversight of public funds and the airport. “Until now, the canton pays half the deficit and has no say,” said Christophe Darbellay, a member of the cantonal government.

The Greens, backed by some Social Democrats and environmental groups, launched a referendum against the law. Brigitte Wolf, co-president of the Valais Greens, says municipalities should not have to fund a loss-making airport that mainly serves private aviation. Darbellay argues that the airport can also benefit people across the canton through rescue missions, disaster response and efforts to address natural hazards.

Wolf says such helicopter missions do not require an airport like Sitten, pointing to rescue bases in Zermatt and Raron that operate without public funding for an airport. If voters reject the law, the city can continue operating Sitten airport until 2031, when its federal concession expires. The federal government would then decide what happens next.