Air traffic Flights from Zurich take off less punctually during the summer vacations
Vacation travelers needed more patience at Zurich Airport during the summer vacations than in the previous year. The punctuality of departures deteriorated slightly.
20.08.2024, 15:14
SDA
There were fewer delays for landings, but the number of night flights was higher than in the previous year. In the period from the beginning of July to August 18, the delay rate for departures at Zurich Airport rose to 58% from 56% in the same period last year, according to an analysis of data by the news agency AWP.
Expressed in figures, 9673 out of a total of 16,626 departures were delayed by more than 15 minutes. However, it should be noted that these delays can sometimes be at least partially made up during the flight.
In contrast, the punctuality of landings at Zurich Airport improved slightly during the summer vacations. Compared to the previous year, the delay rate fell by two percentage points to 41% and 9792 flights out of a total of 16,578 landed on time.
More night flights
Overall, the number of delays increased slightly in the busy summer months, Zurich Airport also wrote in a press release on Monday. Punctuality decreased slightly compared to previous months due to the drastic regulations imposed by European air traffic control, the many thunderstorms and the tense geopolitical situation in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
According to the evaluation, there was a relatively significant deterioration, especially at night. Around 3 percent of aircraft landed after 11 p.m. and 2.1 percent took off after this time. The number of flights during the summer vacations outside the scheduled times therefore increased by 134 to 844.
No flights may be scheduled between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., although the airport is allowed to use the half hour from 11 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. to reduce delays in accordance with the regulations.
