Why landing in Zurich in the evening has become complicated

Twice in a short period of time, Zurich Airport refused to allow planes to land in Kloten. Critics suspect political motivations behind the decision.

Francesco Benini / ch media

Swiss customers were very unhappy on Monday. The flight from London to Zurich, supported by Air Baltic, landed shortly before midnight, not in Kloten, but in Geneva. The passengers were then left to their own devices. Swiss was unable to organize an overnight stay for them in a hotel in Geneva or provide buses to transport them to Zurich.

At the beginning of June, travelers who wanted to travel from Cyprus to Zurich with Helvetic were affected. The plane landed late in the evening in Bern, where buses were waiting to transport them to their destination. However, when they finally arrived in Zurich, public transportation no longer worked. It was too late.

What is going on? Why do planes to Zurich land elsewhere? Why is passenger travel disrupted? Zurich Airport usually handles arrivals and departures between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. Between 11 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., late planes can still land or take off. After 11:30 p.m., the situation becomes problematic.

In this case, a plane needs special permission from the airport. This is what happened for the two hijacked flights: Swiss and Helvetic requested landing permission at the airport, but they did not obtain it. Airlines had no choice but to direct their planes to another destination.

The number of late planes has not never been so high

Why did Zurich Airport refuse planes to land? Spokeswoman Bettina Kunz explains that Flughafen Zürich AG can “grant an exemption in the event of unforeseeable and extraordinary events.” Each case is examined individually.

Among the “extraordinary events”, “severe weather conditions”. According to the airport’s assessment, such conditions were clearly not present in both cases.

In the European air transport sector, many machines are experiencing delays. After the pandemic, the number of air movements increased sharply. However, airports and airlines were experiencing staff shortages. Additionally, strikes hampered efficient operations.

In 2023, Zurich Airport experienced “historically low punctuality”, according to airport statements. Corrective measures have been taken with all parties involved. Despite this, planes continue to take off in the morning with significant delays and are unable to catch up on later flights during the day. This is how an airline can find itself wanting to land in Zurich after 11:30 p.m. and being refused permission. Georg Brunner, president of the “Fair in Air” organization, however, suspects a political motive behind these flight deviations.

The latter, in partnership with other associations, gathered signatures for the “Initiative for Nighttime Rest”, which deplores the noise generated by planes. In April, this proposal was tabled in the canton of Zurich. The initiators want strict silence at Zurich airport from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.. Flights delayed between 11 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. would no longer be authorized.

The airport does not want new restrictions

Georg Brunner believes the airport is trying to instill fear in passengers. Indeed, it has been shown that noise, especially at night, causes damage to health. It is the airport’s responsibility to ensure punctual operation.

Zurich Airport rejects the idea that the longer night initiative influenced the rejection of the two planes. A 7-hour nighttime rest period would endanger Zurich’s hub status and therefore the Swiss federal government’s mission to connect the country to the world’s major metropolises. To guarantee Switzerland the direct connections, prosperity and jobs it enjoys today, it is crucial to maintain the current framework conditions. Zurich Airport operates with the shortest operating hours compared to other domestic and international airports.

In the meantime, Swiss apologizes to customers who were stranded in Geneva.

(Translated and adapted by Chiara Lecca)