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Zurich calls for solidarity over airport

Zurich airport is involved in a long-running dispute with Germany swissinfo.ch

Canton Zurich has asked Switzerland’s French-language newspapers to stop delighting in the city’s misfortunes.

In a faxed letter to the media, Zurich’s government accused papers of displaying “malignant joy” in recent coverage of the noise pollution row at Zurich airport.

The airport is involved in a long-running dispute with Germany, which wants to sharply reduce the number of planes flying into Zurich via German airspace.

But it seems not everyone in Switzerland has been vocal enough in expressing their sympathy for the airport’s plight.

“One cannot help but notice a certain malignant joy in the coverage of the airport story by Switzerland’s French-speaking press,” wrote Christian Huber, head of Zurich’s regional government.

According to Huber, many of Zurich’s neighbours seem to be relishing the possibility that “the people of Zurich might be knocked off their pedestals and that the millionaire residents of Lake Zurich’s so-called gold coast will soon be suffering from the noise of [redirected] aircraft”.

The letter goes on to suggest that such sentiments are misguided and misplaced.

Citizens suffer

Huber claims that 100,000 ordinary citizens, rather than Zurich’s millionaires, will suffer if aircraft are diverted to the south.

And he insists that a reduction in airport capacity will have an economic impact far beyond the boundaries of Zurich.

“It’s important to remember that Switzerland is more dependent on external trade than any other OECD [Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development] country,” concluded Huber.

“Swiss prosperity relies on the strengths of our air traffic. Seventeen per cent of Switzerland’s citizens live and work in Zurich, and if Zurich becomes a second-rate city, it’s the whole of Switzerland which will lose out!”

French-language press

The Fribourg-based newspaper “La Liberté” was one of several French-language publications to receive Huber’s letter, publishing the politician’s comments in its Wednesday edition.

But despite admitting to some critical coverage of Zurich and its airport in the past, the paper insisted it was taking no pleasure from the current problems.

“We have been critical on several previous episodes,” La Liberté reporter Ron Hochueli told swissinfo.

“For example, we thought that the airport’s decision to rebrand itself as Unique airport was rather arrogant.

“But we have always accepted that Zurich is a heavyweight in terms of its economic and political influence in Switzerland and I don’t think that we’re enjoying the situation now.”

Past glory

“What we are doing is acknowledging that Zurich doesn’t have the same almost untouchable strength that it had in the past and that it’s beginning to suffer from some of the problems that our canton has been facing for the past 15 years,” added Hochueli.

“In many ways, that may actually help humanise Zurich for people in the French-speaking regions.”

Although the federal government is still seeking a compromise with Germany behind closed doors, Huber’s letter is just one example of an increasingly public debate.

Having openly criticised the efforts of Switzerland’s transport minister Moritz Leuenberger to resolve the airport row, Zurich’s mayor Elmar Ledergerber has said that he will be taking part in weekend demonstrations organised by disgruntled residents from the north of the city.

Leuenberger has also came under fire from several communities to the east of the airport which on Tuesday released a joint statement accusing the minister of putting Germany’s interests before those of his own people.

swissinfo, Mark Ledsom in Zurich

Zurich has contested demands by Germany to reduce the number of flights coming into and out of Zurich.

Christian Huber, head of Zurich’s regional government, has accused Switzerland’s French-speaking press of relishing the possible inconvenienced caused to Zurich’s millionaires by redirected flights.

The Fribourg-based newspaper, “La Liberté” was one of the publications to receive Hubert’s letter.

La Liberté denied it has been taking delight in the airport’s problems.

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