The airport operators said this was due to “a new concept aimed at minimising announcements”.
“We are following an international trend,” Livia Caluori, spokesperson for Zurich airport, told the Keystone-ATS agency today, confirming an article inthe Tages Anzeiger. “Other airports are also reducing announcements to focus on passenger comfort,” she added.
The decision to drop the second Swiss national language was based on an analysis of user data, Caluori continued. Five years ago, the website’s usage data had been examined and it had emerged that only 1% of users had clicked on the French version.
“However, thanks to new technologies, French-speakers are not completely overwhelmed,” the spokeswoman explained. “Almost all Internet browsers offer integrated translators. This means that a website in English or German can be translated into another language with a single click.”
Swissport, the world’s number one airport handling company from Zurich, also confirmed the language changes to Keystone-ATS. From July 2024, ground staff will no longer make announcements in French. The corresponding language requirement for passenger service employees has already been deleted.
This also offers advantages in terms of recruitment, said Nathalie Berchtold, spokesperson for Swissport. Without the French language requirement, the company has access to a larger pool of candidates, a decisive advantage in view of the shortage of skilled labour in Switzerland.
Translated from Italian with DeepL/mga
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, if you want to learn more about how we use technology, click here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
Popular Stories
More
Life & Aging
Zurich: how the world capital of housing shortages is tackling the problem
In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?
Lufthansa set to abolish in-flight sales, SWISS to keep them
This content was published on
Perfumes, cigarettes, sunglasses: The German airline Lufthansa will no longer sell these products on long-haul flights in future. Lufthansa subsidiary Swiss is sticking to in-flight sales for the time being.
This content was published on
After a short break due to the cool weather, grass pollen is now flying in Switzerland, the Swiss Allergy Centre said on Monday.
This content was published on
Researchers have shown for the first time in Switzerland that urban greenery measurably reduces the stress levels of city dwellers.
US tariffs affect canton Zurich less than other locations
This content was published on
The Zurich cantonal government is observing the developments surrounding the US tariffs "with concern". Compared to other locations, however, Zurich should get off lightly.
This content was published on
The Alpine Museum in Bern is showing the finds of diver David Godio, who has been fishing lost objects out of the River Aare for years.
This content was published on
Healthcare costs in Switzerland rose by 2.4% in 2023. The Swiss healthcare system thus cost around CHF94 billion ($113 billion).
Karaoke tram to run through Basel during Eurovision
This content was published on
A karaoke tram will be doing the rounds in Basel during the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC). During a 90-minute journey, guests can sing and dance for free in a vintage car.
Net wealth of Swiss households rises to CHF4.8 trillion
This content was published on
Private household assets in Switzerland continued to grow strongly in 2024. The increase was driven by both the growth in financial assets and higher property assets.
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.