Swiss air traffic grows, but emissions rise

Context

In brief

• In 2025 Swiss air traffic exceeded pre-Covid figures for the first time
• 1.4 million air movements (+5% vs 2024, +3% vs 2019)
• 60.5 million passengers (+4% vs 2024), Zurich leading with 32.5 million
• CO2 emissions up 3% to 5.74 million tonnes

Key facts

• What: Swiss civil aviation exceeds pre-Covid figures in 2025
• When: Data released in 2025 relating to 2025
• Where: Switzerland (main hubs: Zurich, Basel-Mulhouse, Geneva)
• Who: FSO (Federal Statistical Office), civil aviation sector
• Movements: 1.4 million take-offs and landings, +5% compared to 2024
• Passengers: 60.5 million, +4% vs 2024
• CO2 emissions: 5.74 million tonnes, +3%
• Fuel: 1.83 million tonnes supplied in Switzerland

In 2025 Switzerland achieved a significant milestone: civil aviation exceeded for the first time the figures recorded before the Covid-19 crisis. According to data released today by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), air traffic in our country reached 1.4 million movements (take-offs and landings), growing 5% compared to 2024 and 3% compared to 2019, the last year of pre-pandemic normality. A return to pre-Covid levels that marks a consolidation of the recovery in the Swiss aviation sector after years of crisis.

Passenger numbers tell a similar story: the 60.5 million passengers recorded in 2025 represent growth of 4% compared to the previous year and 2% compared to 2019. An expansion that confirms how Swiss air routes have recovered not only pre-pandemic volumes, but have continued to grow beyond that.

Traffic composition and operational mix

The traffic structure shows interesting operational dynamics. General aviation — which operates predominantly with small-sized aircraft — accounted for approximately 68% of total air movements in Switzerland. Scheduled and charter traffic, on the other hand, dominated the passenger flow with a share of 99% of passengers. This means that the numerical volume of take-offs and landings is largely driven by small aircraft for private and charter use, while the vast majority of passengers — 99 out of 100 — travel on commercial scheduled aircraft.

Airport hubs: differentiated performance

Switzerland's main airports showed differentiated trends in passenger numbers. Zurich, the largest national and European hub for connecting traffic, recorded a 4% increase reaching 32.5 million annual passengers. Basel-Mulhouse performed even better with an 8% jump, reaching 9.6 million passengers. Geneva, Switzerland's third airport by passenger traffic, remained substantially stable at 17.7 million passengers.

Flight occupancy and routes

A figure that deserves attention concerns the average occupancy rate of seats on board: it fell from 82% to 79%. Although total passengers grew, airlines increased the supply of seats and flights at a faster pace, compressing the occupancy rate. The overall distance traveled by passengers grew by more than 6%, although the most significant decline in terms of passengers was recorded on routes to North America and Asia, two key regions for Swiss business travel and tourism.

Operational details

The Climate Question

With the resumption of air traffic, fuel consumption experienced an inverted contraction. In 2025, approximately 1.83 million tonnes of aircraft fuel were supplied in Switzerland, an increase compared to 1.77 million the previous year. Although the increase is modest in percentage terms, CO2 emissions from these consumptions rose by almost 3%, reaching 5.74 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. Not only that: emissions of nitrogen oxides, an air pollutant that contributes to smog formation and air acidification, grew proportionally to the volume of airport activity.

This dynamic poses an interesting tension in the landscape of Swiss environmental policy. On one hand, the economic and transport recovery is a positive signal. On the other hand, the country's climate commitments require a reduction of overall emissions, regardless of the sector.

National Implications for Federal Climate Targets

For Switzerland, a country committed to ambitious climate targets—including federal CO2 legislation and reduction targets for 2030 and 2050—the rebound in aviation poses a concrete challenge. Aviation is a 'difficult' sector for decarbonization: unlike road transport, where electric vehicles are spreading rapidly, the absence of mature technological alternatives to fossil fuels for commercial aviation makes emission control more complex.

The 3% growth in aviation CO2 emissions in 2025 coexists with an important historical observation: 2019 recorded even higher levels of emissions and traffic volume. Therefore, from a 20-30 year perspective, the sector will still need to significantly reduce its consumption standards to align with Swiss climate targets.

European Context and International Pressures

Although UST data does not provide direct benchmarks with other European countries, the growth of Swiss air traffic (+5% annual, +3% cumulative vs 2019) reflects a global dynamic: commercial aviation is recovering quickly from the pandemic and is exceeding pre-Covid levels, while at the same time regulatory and reputational pressure to reduce emissions remains high at federal, cantonal, and international levels. Switzerland has historically maintained environmental standards among the most stringent in Europe, and this data poses an interesting tension between the sector's economic recovery and the Confederation's climate commitments.

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Key points

The positive finding: aircraft safety in dramatic improvement

In stark contrast to the negative trend in emissions, Swiss aviation recorded dramatic improvements in aircraft safety in 2025. The number of incidents and serious events involving aircraft registered in Switzerland fell from 23 to 10, representing a reduction of over 50%. This is a particularly significant finding because it was achieved despite airport activity volume increasing substantially.

Accident victims recorded an equally significant decline: from 5 deaths in 2024 to 3 in 2025. Serious injuries, finally, were reduced from 7 to 5. Although every accident and every victim remain tragic from a human perspective, the downward trend — in a context of growing traffic — is a positive indicator of the quality of regulation, maintenance, and operational standards in the Swiss sector.

What do these figures mean for passengers

For those who fly in Switzerland or with Swiss airlines, the improvement in safety represents a concrete reduction in the statistical risk of serious incidents. Switzerland has historically maintained standards of civil aviation among the most rigorous in the world. The 2025 UST data suggests that this commitment continues to produce tangible results in terms of safety, even during phases of operational expansion. Air traffic control systems, aircraft maintenance protocols, and pilot training remain among the most stringent internationally.

How and where to learn more

Those wishing to better understand the economic and environmental impact of air traffic on their daily life in Switzerland — both as a passenger and as a taxpayer — can consult the detailed data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) and monitor how the federal government and cantons integrate these statistics into their sustainable mobility policies. Flight costs, ticket prices, and airport fees affect the national cost of living and the competitiveness of Swiss services in international markets.

Learn more about the cost of living in Switzerland to better understand how air traffic, transport, and international connections affect your personal budget and your mobility choices.

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Source: swissinfo.ch