Zurich Airport (ZRH)
History, Facts and Overview

(Zurich, Switzerland)

The history of Zurich Airport began is 1948, when the airfield opened and the very first civil planes began to use the new runway. However, it was not until the summer of 1953 that the airport was officially inaugurated and commercial services started.

Significant dates include 1972 - when lights enabled night flying to commence, 1986 - when the new control tower was erected, and 1998 - when Zurich Airport celebrated its 50th birthday. Two years later, the airport is officially relaunched as the Flughafen Zurich AG and by 2004, a new shopping area was completed, along with an Airside Centre with over 50 different business units.


Zurich Airport offers all of the amenities that you would expect of a modern international airport. These include a huge shopping centre with a selection of more than 110 different shops in the airside and landside areas. Popular shops include a supermarket, Migros, Steiner's Bakery, a pharmacy, electronics shops, bookshops and newsagents. There is also a selection of duty-free and low tax shops at Zurich Airport, complementing the other merchandise for sale nearby.

Hungry travellers with find a good selection of around 50 restaurants, bars and cafés, including the traditional English-style Bill Bentley Pub, Caffè Spettacolo, Mamma Leone's and the self-service Café Veranda on the upper floor of Dock E, which affords superb views of the planes as the arrive and depart.

Other amenities at Zurich Airport include a left luggage desk, medical and dental centres, prayer rooms, nurseries, Swiss Railways travel centre, Internet workstations and even 'behind-the-scenes' guided tours. There are ATM machines throughout the airport, two banks and a post office, while for business travellers, the Unique Conference Centre and wireless Internet access may be of interest.