New airspace structure around Zurich

The airspace around Zurich Airport (LSZH) has been subjected to sizeable changes since April 14, 2005. The modifications, which consisted in the creation of new holding areas and new arrival and departure routes, were the bigger ever made to Swiss airspace. Skyguide has been devoting extensive resources to ensuring the smooth implementation of these modifications, which it had been instructed to effect by the Swiss Confederation.

A political decision
The new arrival and departure routes for Zurich Airport have been introduced in response to a political decision. Switzerland and Germany agreed in summer 2003 to move the two biggest holding areas in Zurich Airport’s airspace from their locations over Germany into Switzerland. The relocation has entailed modifications to the overall airspace structure, including the redesign of all Zurich Airport’s arrival and departure routes.

Skyguide’s role
Having been commissioned to do so by the Swiss Confederation, skyguide has devised a totally new airspace structure for Zurich with new holding areas and new arrival and departure routes. Skyguide has been substantially assisted in these endeavours by Unique, the Swiss Air Force, Swiss International Air Lines, the Aeroclub Zürich and the general aviation. The new structure has been examined and approved by the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA), the country’s regulatory authority for aeronautical affairs. The changes to the airspace structure are extremely extensive, and have entailed the retraining of pilots and air traffic controllers.

Holding areas to be moved
The third phase of German Implementing Regulation (DVO 3) required the two most important holding areas in the airspace around Zurich – EKRIT and SAFFA, which were partly over German territory – to be moved on 14 April to a new location lying wholly over Switzerland. To comply with this requirement, these holding areas were abolished and replaced by two new holding areas, known as GIPOL and AMIKI. GIPOL is located in the Gipf-Oberfrick region, and AMIKI is located above Amlikon.

Impact on VFR flights
This major reorganisation of Zurich airspace has had a particularly substantial impact on visual flight rules (VFR) traffic.

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