This compares with a profit of CHF84.1 million in 2019, the airport said on Tuesday.
The loss, which is the first in its history, was due to the slump in passenger numbers caused by international travel restrictions. In 2020, a little over 5 million passengers embarked or disembarked at Geneva airport, which was 69% fewer than in 2019.
The number of take-offs and landings also fell sharply. In the year as a whole, 86,353 aircraft movements were recorded, a drop of 54 per cent compared to the previous year.
Cost cuts and job losses
To cushion the shock as much as possible, Geneva Airport said it postponed dozens of projects and also turned the cost screw. After the record CHF250 million of the previous year, investments were reduced to just under CHF135 million, while personnel costs were cut by 12% and operating costs by 40%.
The airport benefitted from short-time work subsidies, but still had to cut some 30 full-time jobs compared with the end of 2019.
“Our job today is to avoid jeopardising the future of the airport,” Geneva Airport Director André Schneider told Swiss public broadcaster RTS on Tuesday. “We are prepared to take the necessary measures, as we did last year, when we were able to cut costs massively. But on the other hand, if traffic resumes, we have to make sure that we have the staff and infrastructure to be able to handle it.”
Schneider said he expects air traffic to pick up again in 2024 to “enable us to rebuild our losses and return to pre-crisis financial health over the next ten years”.
Pro-Palestine uni protests to be debated in Swiss parliament
This content was published on
The Swiss People’s Party says it will launch two postulates calling for clarifications about the recent student protests and occupations.
This content was published on
A 36-year-old man from Ticino lost his life on Saturday in Val Malvaglia, in the north of canton Ticino, during a wingsuit jump from a plane.
Swiss Evangelical Reformed Church numbers dropping in French-speaking Switzerland
This content was published on
As in German-speaking Switzerland, the number of members of the Reformed Church in French-speaking Switzerland is also declining.
Gotthard traffic queue hits 20km during holiday weekend
This content was published on
The traffic jam at the Gotthard north portal reached a length of 20 kilometres on the motorway between canton Nidwalden and canton Uri.
Swiss Interior Minister visits Cannes Film Festival
This content was published on
Swiss Interior Minister left the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday after three days of intensive dialogue, meetings and film screenings.
Swiss theatre director breaks with tradition at Vienna’s Rathausplatz
This content was published on
With the proclamation of the "Free Republic of Vienna", the start of the festival on Friday evening was unusually political.
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.