Switzerland’s largest international airport, Zurich Airport, also called Kloten Airport, connects one of Europe’s richest countries to the world. From skiing in the Alps to savouring the smoothest chocolate, this is where every iconic Swiss experience begins.
75 airlines serve 196 destinations in 62 countries worldwide from Zurich Airport’s three terminals, with domestic and Schengen Area flights departing from Terminal A. London, Berlin, Vienna and Amsterdam are the most heavily trafficked routes within Europe. Outside the continent, popular routes include New York, Tel Aviv, Dubai and Singapore.
Beneath the airport centre lies the Zurich Airport railway station, served by the Zurich S-Bahn and a number of regional trains including Eurocity, InterCity and InterRegio. These and a regional bus terminal in front of the airport centre connect the airport to Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lucerne, Munich and many other Swiss and Central European cities.
Switzerland was a relatively early adopter of the commercial flight game, with the country’s first international flight taking place in 1921. At the time, the Dubendorf Air Base served both military and commercial aircraft. Plans for Zurich Airport only began in 1945 when the Swiss government determined the need for separate facilities. It was three years before flights started leaving from Zurich and another five years until the terminal opened.