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The National Council will address a revision of the Aviation Act next Monday. The bill proposes to enshrine the operating hours of Geneva and Zurich airports in law. (File photo)
Keystone
The operating hours of Switzerland’s major airports are sparking debate in the Federal Parliament. The federal government—backed by the center-right bloc—wants to enshrine these hours in law. The left is sharply criticizing the bill.
The National Council will address a revision of the Aviation Act next Monday. The bill proposes to enshrine the operating hours of the Geneva and Zurich airports in law as an “operational grandfather clause.”
According to National Council member Delphine Klopfenstein Broggini (Greens/GE), this legal term hides a central point of contention in the revision. In an interview with the Keystone-SDA news agency, she said that operating hours could be “set in stone” at the federal level. This would make it more difficult to negotiate these hours at the local level.
National Councilor Alex Farinelli (FDP/TI), who was also contacted by Keystone-SDA, supports the reform, however. In his view, it is “not a matter of giving airports a free pass or sidelining all other interests.” Protection against noise and the interests of residents remain legitimate and must continue to be taken into account.
Klopfenstein Broggini also emphasized that the reform strays from the will of the people. In 2019, the people of Geneva approved a popular initiative requiring that the urban character of Geneva-Cointrin Airport be taken into account. The airport is a public-law institution, as the Canton of Geneva is its sole owner.
The initiative’s goal was to strike a balance between economic, social, and cultural interests. At the same time, the burden on the population and the environment was to be limited. The initiative was implemented as part of a legislative revision that took effect in 2022.
This has created a “form of democratic governance” for Geneva Airport, said the Green Party politician, who is also co-president of the Coalition for Air Transport, Environment, and Health (Klug). Today, there is room to discuss operating hours. Residents are particularly advocating for a nighttime quiet period.
Currently, planes take off and land in Geneva between 6:00 a.m. and midnight. In the event of delays, exceptions are possible until 12:30 a.m. While Klopfenstein Broggini acknowledged the efforts to reduce the number of evening takeoffs, she continued to criticize the excessive number of exceptions for late landings.
The Geneva National Council member emphasized that a space for discussion and a careful balancing of interests are important. This would also benefit the airport, which must integrate into its surroundings since it is surrounded by residential areas.
The situation is different at Zurich Airport, which is largely privately operated. Basel-Mulhouse Airport, on the other hand, is administered under French law.
Klopfenstein Broggini also sees a federalist problem. The legislative change would give the federal government more control and strip the cantons of their authority.
While the federal government does have a say in national airports, these are located on cantonal territory and interact directly with their surroundings, Klopfenstein Broggini argued. Therefore, the responsibilities of the affected cantons must be defended.
In its response to the consultation, the Canton of Geneva questioned the constitutionality of an indefinite grandfather clause without the possibility of review. It called for a time limit as well as environmental safeguards. Overall, however, the canton supported the project.
Farinelli, for his part, spoke of a better distribution of responsibilities. The goal, he said, is to simplify procedures that currently fall under the responsibility of the cantons, even though they do not always have the necessary technical expertise at their disposal.
The reform is not about expanding the rights of airports, but about enabling them to continue operating under conditions comparable to those of today, said the Ticino politician. Existing operating conditions must not be “insidiously” called into question.
He advocates for clearer procedures and thus greater legal certainty. In aviation, operating hours are “not merely a technical detail,” Farinelli emphasizes.
They have a direct impact on the functioning of the network and on Switzerland’s ability to maintain good international connections. If these times were not guaranteed, the country would face “serious problems with connectivity and, ultimately, with competitiveness.”
13.06.2026, 09:30
13.06.2026, 10:04
