# Number of flight movements for sightseeing flights

A map of a former edition of the Atlas of Switzerland, the national atlas published by ETH Zurich. It opens only in the desktop atlas (version 4) for Windows and macOS, not in the web atlas; see the links below.

- Map: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/number-of-flight-movements-for-sightseeing-flights/
- Short title: Flight movements: sightseeing flights
- Map id: 541
- Categories: Traffic and Communication › Air traffic › Flight movements
- Keywords: Air traffic, Transport
- Published: 2018-03-06
- Last revised: 2022-01-31
- Content language: English
- Other languages: [Deutsch](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/de/thema/anzahl-flugbewegungen-fuer-rundfluege.md), [Français](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/fr/theme/nombre-des-mouvements-aeriens-pour-vols-panoramiques.md), [Italiano](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/it/tema/numero-di-movimenti-di-volo-per-voli-panoramici.md)

## Description

Sightseeing flights are characterised by the fact that the aircraft return to their departure airport without landing in the meantime. They are often used for tourism, and primarily offer the opportunity to discover the local area. Smaller aeroplanes, helicopters or airships are flown, and the flights usually last 1 to 2 hours.
Alberto Santos-Dumont undertook the first sightseeing flight in an airship on 19 October 1901. In doing so, he won the “Deutsch de la Meurthe” prize and was awarded 100,000 francs for completing the first non-stop flight round the Eiffel Tower and back within 30 minutes.

*Commercial sightseeing flights*
Sightseeing flights are considered to be commercial aviation. Companies provide these for a fixed price, and they are subject to statutory safety regulations. Commercial sightseeing flights are always carried out by professional pilots who are registered with an aviation company.
In Switzerland, there are numerous companies that offer sightseeing flights at the national and regional airports, as well as at airfields.

*Transport volume and passenger numbers*
Transport volume is gauged by the number of aircraft movements completed annually. Each aircraft movement (take-off or landing) is counted individually. Sightseeing flights which take off and land at the same airport are therefore counted as two flight movements.
In terms of the sightseeing flights during the past years, these figures have shown a sharp decrease (2000 – 2016 -46%).

## Sources

- Wikipedia contributors (2018): [Rundflug](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rundflug). In: Wikipedia
- FSO (2018): [Verkehrsleistung auf den Flugplätzen](https://www.bazl.admin.ch/bazl/de/home/politik/statistik/verkehrsleistung-auf-den-flugplaetzen.html#1926793598)

## Data sources

- BAZL (2010): Fluganlagen der Schweiz
- FOCA (2017): [Flugplätze](https://www.bazl.admin.ch/bazl/de/home/sicherheit/infrastruktur/flugplaetze.html)
- FSO (2017): [Linien- und Charterverkehr](https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/mobilitaet-verkehr/querschnittsthemen/zivilluftfahrt/linien-charterverkehr.html)
- FSO (2021): [Zivilluftfahrt im Jahr 2020: Linien- und Charterverkehr sowie General Aviation](https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/mobilitaet-verkehr.html)

## Data owners

- [Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA)](http://www.bazl.admin.ch)
- [Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO)](https://www.bfs.admin.ch/)

## Citation

The terms of use ask to name the Atlas of Switzerland and the data owners, and to keep the source references in exports, screenshots and embeds. Cite the map as:

> Atlas of Switzerland (2022): Number of flight movements for sightseeing flights. ETH Zürich. Map data © FOCA, FSO. https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/number-of-flight-movements-for-sightseeing-flights/

## Links

- Map page, with the description and sources and a button that opens the map in the desktop atlas: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/number-of-flight-movements-for-sightseeing-flights/
- Open the map in the desktop atlas (version 4), where it is installed: adsglobe://map/541
- Download of the desktop atlas (version 4) for Windows and macOS: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/ads4-download/

## Related maps

- [Flight movements on international routes](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/flight-movements-on-international-routes.md) (id 512, former edition, desktop atlas only)
- [Number of flight movements according to mode of transport](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/number-of-flight-movements-according-to-mode-of-transport.md) (id 540, former edition, desktop atlas only)
- [Number of flight movements according to type of transport](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/number-of-flight-movements-according-to-type-of-transport.md) (id 538, former edition, desktop atlas only)
- [Historical development of commercial flight movements per year](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/historical-development-of-commercial-flight-movements-per-year.md) (id 543, former edition, desktop atlas only)
- [Current development of flight movements per year](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/current-development-of-flight-movements-per-year.md) (id 544, former edition, desktop atlas only)
- [Number of monthly flight movements](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/number-of-monthly-flight-movements.md) (id 536, former edition, desktop atlas only)
- [Number of flight movements according to day of the week](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/number-of-flight-movements-according-to-day-of-the-week.md) (id 546, former edition, desktop atlas only)
- [Number of flight movements according to the time of day](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/number-of-flight-movements-according-to-the-time-of-day.md) (id 363, former edition, desktop atlas only)

For the use and citation of maps and data, see the [terms of use](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/terms-of-use/).