Suddenly, the passengers stay away

for Ten years, the number of local passengers at the airport of Zurich in only one direction: upwards. Almost 14 million people flew in 2009, from and to Zurich – 2018, there were already 22 million. This represents an increase of about 57 percent. For comparison: In the same period, the population grew in the Canton of Zurich by around 12 percent.

This rapid growth is all the more remarkable, as the number of flight movements has for years been relatively stable, fluctuating between 260'000 and 280'000.

However, in 2019, suddenly showing a completely different picture. Since July, the airport has lost month-to-month local passengers – the most in October, has traditionally been a really strong month With nearly 2.1 million passengers from and to Zurich resulted in a decrease of 2.7 percent compared to October 2018. Already in the first half of the year, two months were April and may on the decline, a strong June, the loss was more than offset. Nevertheless, it is well possible that the airport in 2019, is recorded for the first time in ten years fewer local passengers than in the previous year.

One reason for concern is the media spokesman Philipp Bircher is not. Because the Airlines could get significantly more transit passengers on Board, attributed to the airport for the current year, however, with about 2 percent more travelers than 2018. Bircher also refers to the last two years, which brought with 5.8 and 6.3% strong growth: "We have been expecting, therefore, a certain degree of consolidation."

economy falters

but What is the reason for the weaker Numbers? To answer clearly this question is not in the absence of detailed statistics for the current year. Known, only so much: The growth of recent years is almost exclusively on account of holiday travel.

The business aviation, however, has lost much of its importance; major corporations such as UBS, CS, Zurich air travel for environmental reasons but also for reasons of cost, is severely limited. Surveys of the airport show that in 2011, 38 percent of passengers in Zurich on business and leisure travel, last year only 27 per cent.

Packed with the vacationers, so the flight of shame? Bircher is dismissive: "I don't think so." He makes more economic reasons for the decline in passenger numbers, claims: "In the case of air freight, the volume is reversed and the air freight numbers are usually a good harbinger for the development of the passenger." Here is a General uncertainty'm doing well, triggered by the Brexit-the turmoil and the trade dispute between the United States and China, is noticeable.

in Addition, some Airlines, including Easyjet, Vueling and Chair, would be adjusted on the fall of your flight plan, Bircher. Ceased to exist, among other things, a number of flights to Berlin and Hamburg. The reason is that, for example, the capacity Easyjet have expanded after the end of Air Berlin heavily: "Now the correction is coming down." The Swiss offer more intra-European Connections.

"Some restraint"

Walter Kunz, managing Director of the Swiss travel Association (SRV), has not yet observed that Switzerland abandon and, more recently, air travel. Although he speaks of a "certain reluctance", 2019'll probably year a new record as of 2018. There are, however, several possible reasons. One factor is that the top destinations are increasingly crowded. "The biggest effect is likely to have the glorious summer of 2018 had", he believes, "for many people this is likely to be a reason to stay over the summer months here."

Mixed Numbers are also on Railtour/Frantour. Although the demand for rail travel had increased, especially in the "Experience train travel", such as TRANS-Siberian railway, the Glacier Express and the silk road recorded a double-digit growth, says spokeswoman Liliane Rotzetter. Also traveling with the night train are booming; in cities such as Vienna, Hamburg and Rome, and even in a classic flight to destinations such as London, people often travel by train. "However, traveling by flight are not gone in the cities striking back," said Rotzetter.

growth around it

A larger Trend, the Zurich-based growth slowdown anyway, it is not. The Euro-Airport Basel expected for 2019, for the first time about nine million passengers, nearly half a Million more than last year. In Vienna, the number of passengers increased in the first nine months of the current year by almost 20 percent. The large German airports are also partly significantly in the Plus.

Still, A little flight of shame is palpable. The Foundation Myclimate, in this country, the most famous organization for CO2-compensation payments at a record rate, as is its German counterpart "Atmosfair".

The airport is, meanwhile, not that the climate makes a dash through the bill. He expected also in the future two to three percent more passengers per year.

Created: 14.11.2019, 22:23 PM