- Airport history until 1980
- The modern history of the airport
- Zurich airport infrastructure
- Interesting services
The Zürich International Airport terminals are the first thing that tourists see when arriving in the canton of Zurich and the city of the same name by plane. People come here both on business and on vacation. Zurich Airport is connected by air with many major cities of the world, including the megalopolises of Russia. This airport is recognized as the largest air hub in Switzerland. In terms of passenger traffic, it is included in the list of the busiest and largest airports in the countries closest to Switzerland. The Swiss air carrier Swiss International Air Lines is based at this airport.
The airport is located 13 km from Zurich - the largest city in Switzerland. It was built on land that belonged to the municipality of Kloten, so the airport has a second name - Kloten air terminal.
The airport is operated by Flughafen Zürich AG. The main shareholder of this company is the canton of Zurich (33, 33% of shares + 1 share) and the city of Zurich (5% of shares). The rest of the shares belong to different companies and individuals. The share of each shareholder does not exceed 3%.
Airport history until 1980
The first flight by Swiss pilots outside their country took place on July 21, 1921, but the search for a suitable location for organizing an airport in the canton of Zurich did not begin until 1943. In 1945, the federal government decided that the airport should be located near the city of Zurich. The municipality of Kloten sold 655 hectares of land to the canton, where construction of the airport began a year later. Thus, control over the airport is retained for the canton of Zurich.
The first flights from the western runway were made in 1948. The new terminal appeared at the airport in 1953. The big air show in honor of its opening lasted for 3 days. In 1947, the airport's passenger traffic was 133 thousand people, in 1952 - already 372 thousand. By the beginning of the 50s, the airport served about 25 thousand flights. Expansion of the airport was talked about in 1956, but the construction budget was not approved by the Swiss government until 1958. The construction of a new terminal at Zurich International Airport was completed in 1961.
There were also sad pages in the history of the Zurich airport. On 18 February 1969, an EL AL aircraft was hijacked by four armed members of the Popular Front, an organization dedicated to the liberation of Palestine. The attack was repelled by the guards of the aircraft, as a result of which one of the terrorists and the co-pilot died from their wounds. Another tragedy occurred on January 18, 1971. The Balkan Il-18D aircraft reached the Zurich airport in impenetrable fog and fell 700 meters north of the airport. Upon landing on the left wing and landing gear, the vehicle exploded. 7 crew members and 38 passengers were killed.
In 1970, the next reconstruction of the airport began, during which it was decided to build another terminal B. It was completed a year later. In 1972, the local press raised the issue of excessive noise that accompanies the operation of the airport. It was then that the first night flights took place. The new runway was opened in 1976. Its construction was dictated by necessity: the old one was closed for reconstruction.
The modern history of the airport
In the early 1980s, local residents increasingly raised the issue of aircraft noise. And in 1984, the airport authorities made a decision that became the cause of a protracted conflict. From now on, all planes taking off and landing at the Zurich airport will pass over neighboring Germany. This went on for several decades. Naturally, the residents of communes in southern Germany did not like it. Since 2000, the dispute over the free use of airspace over Germany by aircraft flying to Zurich has been discussed at the highest political level. It is interesting that the parties approached the problem from different angles. The German side was outraged by the fact that 90% of flights served by the Zurich airport are carried out over its territory (at least until 2002). The Swiss, on the other hand, estimated the number of people affected. So, in Zurich and its environs live about 210 thousand people, and in the south of Germany only 750 people who have to endure the noise level from aircraft of 50 decibels.
In 2003, Germany unilaterally limited the number of flights over its territory during the daytime and banned them altogether from 21:00 to 7:00 on weekdays and from 20:00 to 9:00 on weekends. The Swiss are trying to challenge this decision.
In 2000, the authorities of the canton of Zurich announced the privatization of the local airport. The airport operator was also replaced. Since 2001, all Swissair flights have been canceled. Despite the development of a "rescue plan" that would have allowed the airport to stay afloat, the assets of the Zurich air hub were sold, and its cash flow decreased significantly. Only in 2005, a year after the German carrier Lufthansa took control of Swiss International Air Lines, the airport was “revived”.
Zurich airport infrastructure
The airport consists of three terminals labeled A, B and E. All are connected to the Airside Center, built in 2003. Next to it you can see another building called "Airport Center". It is here that the ticket registration areas, a large shopping center, a railway station, a parking lot and a bus station are located.
All tourists, no matter where they fly, receive the same high level of service. They have the opportunity to visit duty-free shops and various bars and restaurants before departure. Then the flow of passengers is divided into two parts: those who go to the countries of Europe, where the Schengen agreement is in force, and those who fly to other countries of the world.
The same division exists upon arrival at the Zurich airport. Swiss citizens and visitors from the EU area and passengers from other countries are served in different sectors of the Airside Center and travel to the Airport Center complex by different routes. It is impossible to get lost at the main airport in Switzerland. You just need to pay attention to the signs or ask the airport staff for help.
Flights are served by different terminals:
- Terminal A, where the gates to the airfield under the letter A are located, was opened in 1971 and is used exclusively for sending and receiving flights from cities within the Schengen area, including domestic flights within Switzerland. Since its reconstruction in 1982-1985, it has been shaped like a finger and adjoins the Airside Center on one side;
- Terminal B with gates B and D was built in 1975. It was closed for reconstruction for three years and began to receive passengers again in November 2011. Its elongated design resembles Terminal A and is also connected to the Airside Center building. This terminal serves international flights to the Schengen and non-Schengen areas;
- Terminal E with a gate marked with the letter E is international. It is set aside from other airport buildings between the two runways. This terminal was put into operation on September 1, 2003. It is connected to the Airside Center by the Skymetro subway.
Zurich Airport has three runways with a length of 3,700 m, 3,300 m and 2,500 m. The longest and shortest runways are mainly used for take-off, while the middle runway is for landing.
Zurich Airport is connected by air with 162 settlements in 62 countries.
Interesting services
Flying in first class is pleasant, getting from Switzerland in first class is doubly more pleasant, because a VIP passenger can count on a number of wonderful bonuses right at the Zurich airport. For example, there are 9 waiting rooms for high-ranking clients of the airport. One of them has two restaurants and a bar. One restaurant serves signature cuisine and a sumptuous wine selection, while the other offers American specialties. In addition, there are 2 hotel rooms (cannot be booked in advance) with bathrooms and small rooms with comfortable armchairs in the high-comfort waiting room. There is also an open terrace with a wonderful view of the airport and its surroundings.
The Senator Lounge is for those passengers who wish to remain quiet to work or read a newspaper or book before departure. A reading room with soft comfortable chairs is equipped for them. There is also a restaurant, a buffet and a whiskey bar with a good collection of this drink.
Coffee lovers gather in the SWISS Business Lounge, because it is here that you can brighten up the exhausting waiting hours with a cup of excellent coffee. For businessmen there are secluded offices with Internet access.
Ordinary passengers traveling in Economy Class will also be surprised by the quality of services provided at Zurich Airport. For example, right here, just getting off the plane, you can buy a tourist ticket to any country in the world. Near the check-in sector 3, above the railway station, surrounded by numerous boutiques, there is a "travel pavilion", where the offices of 26 leading European tour operators are located. For each traveler, a unique offer will be selected here, from which it will simply be impossible to refuse.
Another interesting airport service can be ordered via sms. If you are afraid to forget about your flight, then Zurich Airport will remind you of it. In addition, he will also send to the client's phone information about the cancellation or rescheduling of the flight. To order this service, you need to send the text "Zrh X" to number 9292, where X is the flight number. The service is paid.
