In the resolution published today, the governing council has made clear its rejection of the "Nighttime peace initiative." The initiative violates federal law and cannot be implemented. The operational regulations approved by the federal government state that Zurich Airport is open for civil air traffic from 18:00 to 23:00. The last half hour is reserved to reduce delays without the need to obtain a permit. A ban on flights after 23:00, as called for by the popular initiative, would mean 30 minutes less operating time and would have a major impact on connectivity in Switzerland. The governing council is thus sending a clear signal regarding the current operating hours at Zurich Airport.

Operating hours are crucial for international connections

Flughafen Zürich AG has a concession from the Swiss Confederation and thus the mandate to connect Switzerland with the rest of the world. There are currently around 200 direct connections from Zurich Airport, even though Zurich already has the shortest operating times by European and intercontinental standards. This good connection to the world is not something to be taken for granted and is only possible thanks to the airport being a hub airport. In turn, the current operating times are essential for the airport operating as a travel hub

Do not impose further restrictions on an already tight situation

The half-hour between 23:00 and 23:30 at Zurich Airport is permitted to be used to reduce delays without obtaining a permit. Were it not possible to reduce delays after 23:00, various intercontinental connections would no longer be able to be offered reliably. In addition to the last connections in the evening, medium- and short-haul flights would also be discontinued, as would other long-haul connections during the day using the same aircraft. This would jeopardise the fulfilment of the federal mandate at Zurich Airport. The loss of accessibility and the economic damage would be serious.

Measures against delays

The delay situation throughout Europe in 2024 was unsatisfactory. Delays at Zurich Airport are tedious for the population, passengers and the airport operator alike. There can be different causes for these delays, with the weather, airspace restrictions and technical reasons all influencing the processing of flight operations. Together with its partners, Flughafen Zürich AG is already taking a number of effective measures to counteract the delay situation and has just submitted a formal request to the Federal Office of Civil Aviation for an increase in noise surcharges during the sensitive nighttime hours. 

However, long-term measures for a more stable arrival and departure regime that is less prone to delays have already been requested, but have been blocked for years in lengthy procedures. An important step towards unblocking some of these procedures can be taken with the ongoing revision of the SIL Object Sheet. The runway extensions approved by Zurich’s voters in March 2024 will also increase punctuality levels as soon as they are built. However, a reduction in operating hours, as desired by the initiators, will not eliminate any of the aforementioned causes of delays.

Legal opinion reveals the invalidity of the initiative

The Nighttime peace initiative violates overarching federal law, as confirmed by an existing legal opinion, thus making it invalid. In many respects, the initiative is making false promises to the population and will cost taxpayers a great deal of money. The next step is for the governing council to reject the initiative or declare it as invalid.