Geneva, 29 July 2024 – Switzerland's air navigation service provider Skyguide managed and monitored 628 205 flights under instrument flight rules (IFR) in the first half of 2024. This represents a year-on-year increase of 12.8%, and a decline of 0.5% with respect to the first half of 2019. 2019 was the last year of comparison under normal conditions before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Traffic in the airspace above Switzerland and in the delegated areas managed by Skyguide increased at a two-figure rate (10%-14%) every month since the start of the year, reaching 99.5% of 2019 traffic levels (month-on-month) by the end of the first semester. 94.6% of all flights handled by Skyguide were punctual, which is 2.6 points below the punctuality of the first half of 2019. The high growth these past six months can be attributed to a 10% increase in passenger demand and airline capacity on the one hand, and the shift of the traffic back to its usual routes (the French air traffic control strike from January to June 2023 having caused many flights to circumnavigate Switzerland).
Throughout the first 6 months, when comparing to the 2019 traffic levels, the gap has nearly closed, from -6.6% to +3.4% in May, and slightly down to +1.2% in June.
First half-year flight movements by market segment (Skyguide charging zone)
| 2024 vs 2023 | 2024 vs 2019 | |
| All-cargo flights | -6.2% | +17.5% |
| Business aviation | +0.6% | +10.4% |
| Charter flights | -6.6% | -14.4% |
| Mainline airlines | +11.8% | -1.6% |
| Regional airlines | +6.6% | -25.8% |
| Low-cost carriers | +18.4% | +3.0% |
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Low-cost and mainline airlines are showing the highest increase year-on-year. However, in spite of the decrease of All-cargo and stagnation of Business Aviation year-on-year, both market segments are the only ones that are way above their 2019 levels.
In the first half of 2024, the number of overflights handled grew by 16.9% compared to the same period of the previous year, which is an increase of 1.8% compared to the number of overflights of the first half of 2019. The number of take-offs and landings throughout Switzerland also increased (+6.5% vs 2023, and -6.4% vs 2019).
Zürich Airport recorded an 8.2% increase in movements (-6.5% vs 2019) and Geneva Airport a 6% increase (-4.3% vs 2019). The traffic handled at Switzerland’s regional airports showed an increase of +4.7% vs 2023 (-2.8% vs 2019).
Skyguide’s area control centres in Geneva and Dübendorf registered an increase in aircraft movements of 16.5% and 12.5% respectively (-3.6% and -1.2% vs 2019). The busiest day for Skyguide in the first half of 2024 was Monday 10th of June, when 4’539 flights were handled.
Movements in the first half of 2024 by area control centre and airport
| January-June 2024 | January-June 2023 | Change | |
| Area control centres | |||
| Geneva | 336 145 | 288 453 | +16.5% |
| Zurich | 405 238 | 360 108 | +12.5% |
| IFR arrivals/departures | |||
| Bern | 5 657 | 5 014 | +12.8% |
| Buochs | 979 | 1 216 | -19.5% |
| Donaueschingen | 911 | 873 | +4.4% |
| Friedrichshafen | 4 275 | 5 053 | -15.4% |
| Geneva | 87 644 | 82 654 | +6.0% |
| Grenchen | 1 798 | 1 517 | +18.5% |
| Les Eplatures | 885 | 721 | +22.7% |
| Lugano | 2 897 | 3 004 | -3.6% |
| Sion | 4 459 | 4 224 | +5.6% |
| St. Gallen Altenrhein | 4 480 | 4 511 | -0.7% |
| Zurich | 123 872 | 114 472 | +8.2% |
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Drop in punctuality due to system instability
94.6% of all flights in the first half of the year were handled by air traffic control without delay. Almost one third of air traffic control-related delays were due to reduced capacity, following system instability. Almost half of the delays were due to weather. Punctuality was 2.6% higher before the Corona crisis.