Between June 1 and July 10 an average of 46% of aircraft took off from Zurich with a delay of more than 15 minutes, according to an analysis by the news agency AWP. On average, passengers had to wait around 40 minutes.
Most delays were of an operational, technical or weather-related nature, said an airport spokeswoman.
Among the airlines that operated more than 50 departures during this period, passengers of the Polish airline LOT had their patience tested the most: almost 78% of flights were delayed. Air Canada, SunExpress, Scandinavian, Aer Lingus and Air Serbia also recorded delay rates of over 60%.
At SWISS, which operates the most commercial flights at Zurich Airport, the figure was around 48%.
The most punctual airlines included Iberia (17%), Air Europa (20%), Qatar Airways (25%), Croatia Airlines (29.9%) and Edelweiss (30.7%).
Covid effect
Increased delays during the peak season is normal – there are significantly more flights in summer than at the beginning of the year – but the fact that many airlines and service providers have reduced capacities due to the Covid-19 crisis is now taking its toll.
As recently as 2019 around 40% of departures were delayed at their peak in June, which is around six percentage points fewer than at present. Over the whole year, the delay rate was just under 29%.
In addition, flights are being cut. SWISS and many other European airlines have had to cancel hundreds of flights in the summer, mainly because of a lack of staff. Since the beginning of June, 632 out of a total of 25,030 arrivals and departures have been cancelled at Zurich Airport across all airlines.
More
More
SWISS plans more flight cancellations into autumn
This content was published on
Additional cancellations are “unavoidable” because of staff shortages, a company spokesperson told the Keystone-SDA news agency on Sunday.
The technical hitch at air traffic control system Skyguide resulted in almost 100 flights cancelled a day. On June 15, Swiss air traffic was paralysed for hours owing to a network error at air traffic control. The next breakdown followed about two weeks later: the failure of a globally used system for flight handling caused longer waiting times.
“Unfortunately, it’s pretty much impossible to make predictions about delays because we’re internationally dependent,” the spokeswoman said. However, it can be assumed that the delay rate will be relatively higher this summer.
The airport recommends that during the peak travel season travellers arrive up to three hours before departure.
More
More
Swiss airspace re-opens after ‘technical malfunction’
This content was published on
Switzerland has reopened its airspace after a closure on Wednesday morning for safety reasons because of a “technical malfunction”.
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
This content was published on
French and Swiss armoured and artillery units will train together to strengthen the defence capabilities of the Swiss army.
Harmful substances in particulate matter underestimated: Swiss research
This content was published on
Measurements significantly underestimate the amount of harmful substances in particulate matter, says an international research team under Swiss leadership.
Switzerland reopens its humanitarian office in Kabul
This content was published on
Switzerland opened its humanitarian office in Kabul in mid-March to provide targeted aid to the Afghan population in distress.
This content was published on
From Wednesday, a Swiss passport will no longer be sufficient to enter the UK - Swiss travellers will also need an electronic travel authorisation.
This content was published on
A German security expert could imagine Swiss soldiers being part of a peacekeeping force in Ukraine after an eventual ceasefire.
Leading Swiss politician favours closer EU defence ties
This content was published on
Co-president of Swiss centre-left Social Democratic Party calls on Switzerland to step up security cooperation in Europe.
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.
Read more
More
SWISS again cancels flights due to staff shortages
This content was published on
The Swiss flag carrier is planning to reduce the number of flights over the next few months as a result of staff shortages.
This content was published on
Seventy-five years ago, work began on the construction of Zurich Airport, which quickly grew to become Switzerland’s busiest aviation hub.
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.