Skyguide: High traffic recovery since start of summer season and stabilization of growth in June

 

Skyguide, Switzerland's air navigation service provider, managed and monitored 522 006 flights under instrument flight rules (IFR) in the first half of 2022. This represents a year-on-year increase of 156.7%, and a decline of 17.3% with respect to the first half of 2019. Air traffic in the airspace above Switzerland and in the delegated areas managed by Skyguide recovered at a steady pace, especially since the start of the summer season to reach 90% of 2019 traffic levels (month-on-month) by the end of the first semester. 97.7% of all flights handled by Skyguide were punc- tual, which is 0.5 point above the punctuality of the first half of 2019. The Ukrainian crisis has had no im- pact on the traffic flows through Switzerland, and hence has not resulted in any increase or decrease of traffic.

Throughout the first 6 months, when comparing to the 2019 traffic levels, the gap gradually closed, from -29% in January to -20% in March, reaching -10% in May and June.

It should be noted that the market segment classification by STATFOR changed in 2022, and the mar- ket segment "traditional airlines" has been split into two groups: mainline and regional airlines.

In the first half of 2022, the number of overflights handled grew by 170.2% compared to the same pe- riod of the previous year, which is a decrease of 15.5% compared to the number of overflights of the first half of 2019. The number of take-offs and landings throughout Switzerland also increased (+131.7% vs 2021, and -21.9% vs 2019).

Zürich Airport recorded a 151.6% increase in movements (-29.2% vs 2019) and Geneva Airport a 172% increase (-17.1% vs 2019). The traffic handled at Switzerland's regional airports showed an increase of +26.1% vs 2021 and +2.5% vs 2019, these airports not having been impacted that much by the COVID crisis.

Skyguide's area control centres in Geneva and Dübendorf registered an increase in aircraft movements of 151.8% and 156.9% respectively (-17.8% and -16.4% vs 2019). The busiest day for Skyguide in the first half of 2022 was Sunday 29 May, when 4'069 flights were handled.

Tags: Skyguide