Geneva Airport expects 23% fewer passengers in 2021
Geneva Airport officials say the shockwaves of the Covid-19 pandemic will reverberate into next year, with the number of passengers flying to and from the airport expected to be down by almost a quarter compared with pre-coronavirus levels, according to Swiss public radio, RTS.
This content was published on
2 minutes
RTS/sb
Geneva Airport Director General André Schneider described the current situation as “extremely fragile” in an email sent to staff on Friday, which has been seen by RTS.
He wrote that passenger numbers next year are expected to be down by 23% compared with 2019 and figures will not return to normal before 2022, RTS reported.
Schneider said he was studying all possible options to make savings “both in terms of investments on operational expenditure and personnel costs”, according to RTS. Measures such as a hiring freeze and early retirement for certain staff remain in place.
Uncertainties
Geneva Airport, like other Swiss facilities, has been badly hit by the pandemic. Between March and June, it was pretty much at a standstill, with only 6-8 flights a day. With the re-opening of borders on June 15, passengers have started to return to Geneva, and the results are encouraging, officials wrote in early August.
But passenger numbers are still well down. On July 19, the airport welcomed 16,230 travellers – 30% fewer than the same period last year.
The airport still faces many Covid-related uncertainties, such as the worsening virus situation in France, which is responsible for 30% of passengers, and whether British and other skiers will fly to Geneva this winter for their holidays in the French and Swiss Alps.
Zurich
Switzerland’s largest international airport, in Zurich, is also struggling with the pandemic, with a near-total collapse in revenues during its peak.
It posted a loss of CHF27.5 million ($30.3 million) for the first six months of 2020. This compares with a profit of CHF143.4 million in the first half of 2019.
In the first six months of 2020, 5.3 million passengers used Zurich airport, a decrease of 64.3% compared with the same period in 2019. The number of flight movements went down by 55.5% between January and June 2020.
There are also signs of a slow recovery in Zurich since the gradual re-opening of borders in June. But it is likely to be several years before the intercontinental market fully recovers, experts say.
More
More
How Geneva Airport helped the international city take off
This content was published on
A photo essay looks back at the key phases of Geneva Airport’s development over the past 100 years.
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
This content was published on
Covid-19 has had a severe economic impact on Zurich airport, with a near-total collapse in revenues at times, according to first half results.
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.