Zurich Airport records more flight movements in January
Published: Thursday, Feb 1st 2024, 09:50
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More aircraft took off and landed at Zurich Airport in January than in the previous year. However, the shortfall compared to pre-crisis figures remained considerable.
In January, Zurich Airport recorded a total of 18,149 take-offs and landings. This is 8.4% more than in the same period last year. Nevertheless, the gap to the figures before the coronavirus crisis remained comparatively high at 14.5%, as an analysis of the data by the news agency AWP shows.
Air traffic recovered noticeably in the second half of 2023. In some cases, the shortfall compared to 2019 was only in the single-digit percentage range. Over the year as a whole, the difference was around 10 percent.
When interpreting the data, however, it must be borne in mind that the number of flight movements is subject to strong seasonal fluctuations. For example, vacations, public holidays and major events play an important role.
Lots of traffic at the WEF
In the run-up to the WEF alone, Zurich Airport expected around 1000 additional flight movements by state aircraft, business jets and helicopters. Accordingly, January 19 - the last day of the WEF - was also the busiest day of the month with 718 flight movements. On the quietest day of the month, January 23, only just under 500 aircraft took off and landed.
Compared to December 2023, flight movements fell by around 3% in January. This is mainly due to seasonal reasons.
The flight movement figures at Zurich Airport are based on daily updated statistics, in which all flights are recorded according to instrument flight rules. This so-called IFR traffic includes scheduled flights as well as cargo, business and private flights. However, the number of flight movements says nothing about the size of the aircraft handled and their capacity utilization.
Zurich Airport will publish detailed passenger and traffic figures for the month of January on February 12.
©Keystone/SDA
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