The CEO of Swiss International Air Lines, Harry Hohmeister, has called for Zurich airport to be expanded to deal with economic growth.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch and agencies
Hohmeister told the SonntagsZeitung newspaper that the international airport was essential for the landlocked country if it wanted access to the “globalised world”.
He said the current infrastructure at the airport was insufficient to deal with future economic growth in Switzerland.
The head of the airline, which is owned by Germany’s Lufthansa, said a night ban on flights and limitations on planes using the flight path over southern Germany were counterproductive.
Germany banned night and weekend flights en route to Zurich airport over parts of its southern territory in 2003. The development forced Zurich airport to redirect flights to its southern runway, passing over parts of the city and other densely populated areas of Switzerland.
Hohmeister added that plans to build another runway should not be shelved.
Popular Stories
More
Foreign affairs
European nations snub Swiss-made weapons over Ukraine restrictions
Is artificial intelligence an advantage or a disadvantage for workers?
What is your experience with AI at work? Have you already used it? Has it helped you work better? Or has it caused you more stress, more work or caused you to lose your job? Tell us about your experiences!
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
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 airports feel chill less than neighbours
This content was published on
Heavy snowfall has caused chaos across northern Europe since Thursday, with London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Paris and Brussels airports most in the spotlight. European Union Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas will meet airport bosses to urge them to “get serious” about tackling the problem. Some airports still have backlog disruptions despite runways being opened. Switzerland avoided the…
This content was published on
On Thursday the General Court of the European Union in Luxembourg upheld a 2003 ruling of the European Commission that Germany was acting within its rights in imposing night time restrictions on low-altitude flights over its airspace. The problem for Switzerland is that the flights affected are those using Zurich airport, the country’s biggest, which…
This content was published on
The move was announced on Monday after talks in Berlin between Swiss Transport Minister Moritz Leuenberger and his German counterpart, Peter Ramsauer. Leuenberger told journalists in the German capital that as “neighbours with close friendly ties” both wanted to bring an end to this seven-year-long quarrel. A joint working group is to be set up…
This content was published on
Swissair was the former national airline of Switzerland, created in 1931. For nearly 71 years, it was known as the “Flying Bank” due to the financial stability of the airline. But a failed expansion strategy and the economic turndown led to the grounding of the airline in October 2001. It was kept alive until March…
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.