Swiss airports see 50% fewer passengers than pre-pandemic
Amid flight cancellations and coronavirus related travel restrictions, Swiss airports are expecting half the number of passengers over the holidays than before the pandemic. This is still more traffic than in 2020.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/jdp
Flight hubs of Geneva, Zurich and Basel have all reported more activity than last year but are seeing more people cancel or postpone trips amid more concerns about the Omicron variant and more stringent entry requirements in some countries. Some airlines have also been forced to cancel flights because of fewer bookings and a shortage of personnel.
Geneva Cointrin airport expects Sunday to be its busiest day with around 33,000 passengers passing through the airport. “This is half of the normal traffic before the pandemic,” said Ignace Jeannerat, spokesperson for Geneva Airport, interviewed by Swiss media agency Keystone-ATS. On Christmas Day, which is typically the quietest, some 18,000 people should depart or arrive in Geneva according to the forecast.
Switzerland is particularly affected by fewer travelers from the UK who come for skiing. Flights from the UK to Geneva have around 35% fewer passengers than usual. British Airways has cancelled all flights to and from Basel-Mulhouse until the end of the year.
At Zurich airport, nearly 34,000 passengers are expected every day during Christmas week. In 2020, there were half this many. However, this is still a fraction of what was recorded in 2019 when about 85,000 passengers passed through Zurich airport.
Basel-Mulhouse Euroairport expects 40% of the 2019 traffic during the holidays.
According to the airports, waiting times at airports remain limited despite additional checks for test results or vaccinations that are required by different governments.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
This content was published on
TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
This content was published on
The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
Ukraine peace conference should include Russia, says Chinese ambassador
This content was published on
China supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, says Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
This content was published on
The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
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 reviews job cuts among flight staff
This content was published on
Swiss International Air Lines has offered to re-employ more than half of the 550 flying personnel it had sacked earlier this year.
This content was published on
Swiss International Air Lines will make fewer pandemic-related job cuts than feared following consultations with staff and trade unions.
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.