Zurich Airport operations disrupted after last-minute no-fly zone triggers Skyguide technical fault

Flight operations at Zurich Airport were severely disrupted on Sunday morning after a technical malfunction at Swiss air navigation service provider Skyguide forced the temporary closure of Swiss airspace east of Bern.

According to Skyguide, the disruption was triggered by the last-minute integration of a restricted no-fly zone around the Bürgenstock resort, where high-level U.S.-Iran peace talks were being held. The no-fly zone had to be activated at short notice after the decision to host the negotiations in Switzerland was only finalised on Saturday.

The integration of the restricted airspace into radar display systems caused a technical fault affecting both the Dübendorf air traffic control centre and Zurich Airport’s control tower. As a precaution, Skyguide closed the airspace east of Bern for several hours and activated its crisis management team, stressing that safety remained fully assured throughout the incident.

The disruption had an immediate impact on operations at Zurich Airport. No departures were possible for part of the morning, while arrivals continued until approximately 06:45 local time. Aircraft already on approach, as well as flights carrying delegations to the peace summit at the Bürgenstock resort, were permitted to land.

Skyguide specialists quickly identified the source of the malfunction, allowing flight operations at Zurich Airport to gradually resume from around 07:45. By mid-morning, capacity remained reduced by around 40%, with some flights cancelled and numerous others delayed. Reuters reported that by midday, 12 arriving flights and 14 departures had been cancelled, while more than 60 departures experienced delays.

Although airport operations have now returned to normal and radar systems are functioning correctly, Skyguide said a precautionary reduction in overflight capacity will remain in place until Monday morning. The company expects the measure to have only a limited operational impact thanks to the opening of additional airspace sectors.

Skyguide apologised to passengers and airline partners for the disruption, reiterating that ensuring the safety of Swiss airspace remains its highest priority.