Zurich Airport

Zurich Airport in Kloten (hence its alternative name, Kloten Airport) is the busiest airport in Switzerland, serving the Zurich region.

While the once proud Swissair of yesterear went belly up after disastrous acquisitions and speculations, the reborn carrier (now a subsidiary of Lufthansa Group) still maintains a hub in Zurich and thanks to the wealth and political neutrality of Switzerland, the relatively small Zurich is able to almost play in a league with London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam Schiphol or Frankfurt, thus punching way above its weight and offering a lot of connections on several continents.

Understand
Construction of the airport started in 1945, on land in Kloten granted to the Canton of Zurich by the federal government.

The airport is about 13 km north of the city. It is a hub for Star Alliance member Swiss International Air Lines and its subsidiaries, including Edelweiss.

There are three terminals. The Airside Center houses check-in and security.

Flights
Zurich's reputation as a world banking and financial centre makes it a significant airline destination, with flights connecting many major airports on most continents except Oceania, offered especially by the country's flag carrier, Swiss International Airlines. Its sister airline Edelweiss Air also serves mainly leisure destinations from Zurich. Besides the Lufthansa Group subsidiaries mentioned above, Zurich is also an important airport for chair and Easyjet.

Departures
Flights depart from one of these three sections.

There are three check-in facilities. Check-in 1 and 3 are used mostly by Lufthansa group airlines (Swiss, Lufthansa, Eurowings, Austrian, Brussels Airlines), Croatia Airlines, while all other airlines use check-in 2 (with the exception of Vueling & easyjet, which uses 3). Check-in 3 is located directly above the railway station while Check-ins 1 and 2 are right at level L1 directly above the arrival halls. Check-in 2 is divided into two floors with rows 1 to 4 on Level 2 and row 5 on Level 1.

By public transport


For local transport, the airport belongs to Zone 121 of the ZVV network, which means you will be travelling on 2 zones on your way to the city. The fare is the same regardless of the used transportation mode.

By train
All trains serve the at Level -2 below the Airport Shopping Complex and Check In 3. Train tickets for both the local and intercity trains can be purchased at the kiosk in the station and also beforehand at baggage claim hall.

serve the airport to Zurich main station via Oerlikon, mostly from platforms 3 and 4. S24 runs from the airport to Winterthur in the north and Zug in the south, while S2 can also take you to stops along the western shores of Lake Zurich until Unterterzen and S16 to the eastern shores until Herrliberg-Feldmeilen station.

Intercity and regional trains are also frequent with services going as far as Munich & Stuttgart in Germany and Bregenz in Austria. Most trains go directly to or pass Zurich main station, but some InterRegio trains stop at Oerlikon before reaching Zurich. In the other direction, many trains stop at Winterthur.

By tram
Tram lines 10 to Zurich main station and 12 to Stettbach train station stop at Level L0 just outside the Airport Centre. If heading to the airport, make sure to stop at the Bahnhof, as the next stop is Fracht or the cargo terminal still within the airport grounds.

By bus
A local bus station serving Zone 121 of the public transportation network is at the ground floor (Level L0) also outside the Airport Centre. Intercity buses like Flixbus also stop here.

By taxi
Taxis can be hailed from the inside curbs of Arrival Halls 1 and 2. A ride to the city center costs from CHF 50.

By car
The airport is accessible from Highway 51 which begins shortly before the airport from Highway 1 and terminates at Bullach. If coming from the city, watch out as exit 6 to the airport is on the left lane. Parking buildings P1 and P3 are adjacent to both terminals; a larger parking building P6 is four minutes away on foot from the terminal building and is equipped with charging outlets for electric cars.

Parking fares start from CHF 2 for 15 minutes and CHF 48 for long term parking for at least 24 hours.

Car rental kiosks can be found at level 1 of the Airport Shopping area, accessible from Check In 2.

By shuttle bus
Shuttle buses to hotels, faraway towns, and winter resorts can also be called for pick up from the airport at Arrival 2.

Get around
Terminal E is connected to the Airside Centre by the SkyMetro, an underground automated train. It takes about 3 minutes. Look out the window - there are pictures on the corridor that resemble a movie due to the movement of the train. Pay attention however that once you take the train, you will be unable to return to the main terminal building. Passport control is done at the main terminal building.

Otherwise, walking is how you reach most of the terminals.

Lounges
Swissair operates a lounge each at the main terminal building and at Terminal E for non-Schengen flights, located on top floors with splendid views of the Alps. They are also accessible to premium passengers and frequent flyers of the Lufthansa group of airlines and Star Alliance carriers.

Other lounges include:

Buy
The landside area offers two extensive shopping complexes that resemble a shopping mall, the Airport Shopping area with direct access from the terminal building, and the Circle located on a separate area opposite the tram station. After security, most of the shopping options are centered around an area called the Airside Center, accessible for both Schengen and non-Schengen passengers before passport control.

Connect
Free Wi-Fi is available for 4 hours, with the usage amount being refreshed every 5 hours. Additional internet usage is available for a fee. Connect to the ZurichAirport network and get a verification code via text or phone call, or scanning a boarding pass at one of the scanners throughout the airport building or the information desk. Website of the Swiss Railways and electronic travel authorization by the US and Canada do not require access using verification code.

Cope
The airport now has a page on Sina Weibo and a WeChat account to handle queries - useful for Chinese residents and visitors.

Sleep
Sleeping inside the airport building is comfortable enough on a few chairs, especially airside and at Concourses B and E, that do not have armrests & generally the whole airport area is secure. The lighting and music however remain on even though no flights are arriving or departing overnight, so blindfolds and earplugs are helpful. Be aware that the terminal and passport controls close from 23:00 to 05:00, so if you wish to stay at the transit hotel, head there early.

Adjacent to airport
There are plenty of hotels adjacent to the airport catering to all levels of budget and reachable by public transport or a shuttle service offered by the hotels.

Nearby
While waiting outside the airport, you can head over to Flughafenpark behind The Circle building to escape the hustle and bustle, a small park atop a hill. To get to the top, there is a cable car that runs from the Circle.

The main destinations nearby are in the Zurich region, including, obviously, Zurich - but also places like Winterthur and Baden. The nearest busy towns are Oerlikon in the south where most train lines north of Zurich intersect, or the smaller Kloten by bus to the east.