Safety

Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten has published photos of a dramatic runway overrun into the snow drifts of Engadin Samedan St. Moritz airport in Switzerland, the airport serving Davos, where the World Economic Forum annual meeting is currently being held.

The newspaper site shows the landing sequence of French registered Beech 1900 F-HALS, operated by business aviation operator Alsair, as it over runs the airport (one picture featured below). It is not yet known who chartered the aircraft or its occupants, but the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting 2007 has around twenty sessions per day every day this week and many of the world's most influential people fly into the airport using private aircraft.

Over 2,000 people take part in an intensive five-day programme of workshops and interview-style panel discussions that focus on crucial global, regional and industry issues, the WEF says about its Davos meeting. Attendees are drawn from prominent people from all over the world, principally business leaders and politicians.

The airport is 5km (3nm) from St Moritz and, at an altitude of 1,707m (5,633ft) is the highest airport in Europe. The airport's 1,790m (5,900ft) runway operates on visual flight rules between 08:00 and nightfall for medium-sized jets and smaller.