Planes belonging to SWISS and Helvetic Airways at Zurich Airport last month
Keystone / Michael Buholzer
The Covid pandemic has hit Zurich Airport, one of the biggest employers in the region, hard. But CEO Stephan Widrig says there are sufficient financial resources to get through the crisis, including the Omicron variant.
“We don’t need any state aid even in a difficult 2022, apart from the short-time work compensation,” Widrig told newspaper Blickin an interviewExternal link on Monday. He said short-time work had “helped enormously” and “hardly any” redundancies had been necessary.
He pointed out that infrastructure that requires maintenance “is exactly the same size”, which restricts short-time work in these areas. “At the moment, we’re applying short-time work mainly in units that are directly linked to flight operations, such as bus drivers and airport guides.”
More
More
Pandemic pushes more Swiss businesses to short-time working
This content was published on
In order to avoid mass lay-offs, Swiss firms are resorting to a measure that has proved its worth in times of crisis: short-time working. What is it?
Widrig said Switzerland’s largest international airport expected ten million passengers in 2021, less than a third compared with 2019, before the pandemic. “That also means we’ll have almost two-thirds less revenue from flight operations. Plus there’ll be lower commercial revenues because of the home office obligation and lower commuter traffic.”
He said that fortunately the company had built up reserves in good times and diversified its business. In 2021, another CHF900 million ($990 million) had been raised in borrowed capital to ensure liquidity.
More
More
Zurich airport in the red due to Covid-19
This content was published on
Switzerland’s largest international airport posted a loss in 2020, hit hard by an almost 75% historic slump in traffic due to the pandemic.
The airport lost just under CHF70 million for the 2020 financial year. “Zurich Airport is experiencing the biggest crisis in its history. We will certainly have another loss on our books in 2021,” he said.
Widrig reckoned it would take years before unrestricted worldwide travel is restored. At present, he doesn’t expect this to happen before 2025.
“Uncertainties are clearly increasing again for us; the ability to plan in the coming months is noticeably decreasing,” he said. “The spread of Omicron is prolonging the crisis. Much now depends on to what extent and for how long travel is restricted.”
More
More
Swiss Politics
Switzerland imposes entry restrictions to combat new Covid variant
This content was published on
Switzerland bans flights from southern Africa and imposes other travel restrictions to protect against new Covid-19 variant.
This content was published on
Production in Switzerland's secondary sector fell in the second quarter of 2025. The decline was more pronounced in the construction sector than for industry.
Swiss army recruits remain in hospital after gruelling test exercise
This content was published on
Four potential recruits for the elite Swiss grenadier unit were hospitalised last week after taking part in a gruelling exercise in hot weather. Three remain in hospital with one placed temporarily in an artificial coma.
University of Basel to mark 125th anniversary of Nietzsche’s death
This content was published on
This month the University of Basel is celebrating the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who was a professor there from 1869 to 1879. August 25th marks the 125th anniversary of his death.
Trump tariffs: Swiss brands struggle to adapt to 39% tariff
This content was published on
Swiss brands like Victorinox, the manufacturer of the iconic pocket knife, are struggling to adapt to the 39% tariff imposed by the United States on imports of Swiss goods.
Fish and aquatic plants are under ‘severe pressure’ in Swiss rivers and lakes
This content was published on
Fish, aquatic plants and other animals in Swiss rivers, lakes and streams remain under 'severe pressure', according to the Federal Office for the Environment.
Swatch withdraws ‘slanted eyes’ ad after China uproar
This content was published on
The Swiss watch manufacturer Swatch has apologised and withdrawn an advertising campaign worldwide following accusations of racism in China. The ad features a model pulling the corners of his eyes.
Police identify bodies of three climbers who died in Swiss Alps
This content was published on
Police have formally identified the bodies of three climbers who died in the Upper Valais region in early August: they are from Germany, France and Austria.
Bern exhibition reunites Kirchner paintings after 92 years
This content was published on
The painting Sonntag der Bergbauern (Alpsonntag) [Sunday of the Mountain Farmers (Alp Sunday) by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938) is being transferred from Berlin to Bern to feature in an upcoming exhibition at Kunstmuseum Bern.
Voters approve extension of Engadine Airport in Switzerland
This content was published on
Residents in the Upper Engadine region gave the greenlight on Sunday to the expansion of the regional airport at Samedan, one of Europe’s highest airports (1,707 metres) that serves the nearby resorts of St Moritz and Davos.
Private equity group Advent to buy U-Blox for $1.3 billion
This content was published on
Private equity group Advent International has agreed to take over Switzerland's U-Blox Holding in a cash offer worth CHF1.05 billion ($1.30 billion).
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
SWISS plans to cancel 2,900 flights over winter
This content was published on
Amid travel worries and heightened entry requirements, SWISS expects to cancel about 8% of flights over the winter period.
Task force member: Omicron ‘could lead to 30,000 cases a day’
This content was published on
If the Omicron variant continues to spread at its current pace, half the country could be affected by the end of the month, an expert says.
Covid-19: Switzerland tightens restrictions for the unvaccinated
This content was published on
Switzerland to restrict access to restaurants, bars, cultural and sports facilities to vaccinated people or those recently recovered from infection.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.