Aircraft

Switzerland may not have the illustrious aerospace heritage of its neighbours, but thanks to "brand values" of quality, efficiency and competence, it has emerged as a global powerhouse in aviation services. Business aviation giants Jet Aviation and ExecuJet are headquartered in Zurich the former has its completions centre in Basel. SR Technics - once Swissair's maintenance arm now Middle East owned - is also Zurich based, as is another Swissair offshoot, Swiss Aviation Training. Geneva is home to TAG and Privatair, while central Swizerland is the heart of aerospace manufacturing with state-owned defence champion RUAG in Emmen and Pilatus in nearby Stans. In the following pages, we profile the country's key players and look at what precisely makes Swiss aviation tick.