Skyguide to temporarily reduce capacity at Zurich Airport

On 20 March 2025, a new airspace structure designed by the Federal Office of Civil Aviation comes into force at Zurich Airport. It aims to minimise the number of airspace infringements and to increase safety. To ensure a safe implementation, Skyguide is temporarily reducing arrival capacity by 20% while also restricting general aviation.

Skyguide, the Swiss air navigation service provider, will reduce arrival capacities at Zurich Airport from 20 March 2025 onwards, for an estimated period of four weeks. This is due to the biggest change in the airspace around the airport in several decades. The aim of the change is to reduce the occurrence and severity of airspace infringements in the area around Zurich Airport. The far-reaching change affects all users of the controlled airspace around the airport.

To ensure a safe transition to the new structure, Skyguide is implementing temporary relief measures: the air navigation service provider is reducing capacity by 20% for arrivals for all operating concepts, for an estimated period of four weeks. It will also temporarily restrict general aviation in areas close to the airport. This will, for example, affect gliders, paragliders, parachutes and special-mission aircraft. The implementation of such relief measures is in line with international standards when an air traffic control system undergoes such extensive changes.

Skyguide is committed to minimising the impact as much as possible

The relief measures allow air traffic controllers to get used to their new work routine. At the same time, pilots learn how to navigate under the new conditions. In addition, Skyguide reduces the risk of system overload.

Skyguide is conscious of the impact of these restrictions on the users of the airspace and the airport operator, and is committed to minimise these as far as possible. To ensure this, it regularly reviews the progress of the introduction, and how those involved are adapting to the new processes and procedures. Skyguide is constantly evaluating the extent to which and how long it needs to maintain the relief measures.

The Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) has revised the airspace structure around Zurich Airport together with the relevant stakeholders, including Skyguide, Flughafen Zürich AG, Swiss, Deutsche Flugsicherung and aviation associations from Switzerland and Germany. The FOCA launched the process in 2018.