Swiss airports brace for record summer queues as EES border checks bite
Swiss Airports Warn of Summer Queues as EU Entry/Exit System Bites
Airlines and Airports Urge Brussels to Loosen EES Rules Ahead of Peak Season
Latest News
EFTA and Vietnam Seal Free-Trade Deal, Opening Door to Easier Business Mobility
Switzerland and its EFTA partners have wrapped up an FTA with Vietnam that includes liberal rules on short-term business travel, intra-company transfers and recognition of professional qualifications—promising faster visas and smoother market entry for Swiss multinationals.
EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse Adds Eight Routes, Targets 100 Direct Destinations
Basel-Mulhouse is launching eight extra routes this summer, pushing its network to 100 direct destinations and reinforcing its role as a key mobility hub for Swiss, French and German business travellers.
Track works finish on schedule: full rail access to Zurich Airport restored from 3 July
SBB has completed six-weeks of engineering on the Oerlikon–Bassersdorf line, restoring normal rail service to Zurich Airport from 3 July. Diversions and train cancellations that complicated business-trip logistics have ended, and capacity increases will support future passenger growth and EES-related dwell times.
Century-Old Furka Alpine Steam Railway Drives Heritage-Tourism Surge
The volunteer-operated Furka Steam Railway is marking 100 years of mountain rail adventure, attracting international tourists and prompting temporary service boosts on connecting rail and bus routes.
TGV Lyria issues new France–Switzerland timetable as seasonal schedule ends 3 July
The PDF timetable that governed TGV Lyria services from 30 March to 3 July expires this Friday. From 4 July, Switzerland–France high-speed services adopt new departure times and frequencies, making it essential for business travellers to reconfirm bookings and update corporate booking tools.
Schengen Working Party meets in Brussels; Swiss delegation presses for phased EES roll-out
At the 3 July Schengen Working Party, Switzerland lobbied EU partners for phased land-border application of the EES biometric system and for breathing-space before ETIAS goes live. While the Commission insists any derogations must be temporary, the discussion opens the door to operational relief for cross-border commuters and logistics operators.
Queues stretch across terminals as EES ‘nightmare’ grips Europe – what Swiss passengers need to know
Euronews eyewitness reports on 2 July show the new Entry-Exit System producing multi-hour queues at European airports, including Geneva. First-time biometric enrolment of non-EU visitors is far slower than passport stamping, and Swiss airports lack enough kiosks. Companies are urged to lengthen connection times and watch 90/180-day limits now enforced automatically.
EU’s new Entry/Exit System sparks long queues – Swiss airports brace for summer crunch
Europe’s new biometric Entry/Exit System is fully live and already creating bottlenecks at Schengen external borders, including Zurich, Geneva and Basel. Swiss airports are deploying extra staff and urging passengers to use e-gates, while airlines lobby the EU for the right to suspend the checks during peak periods. Companies with frequent flyers are facing longer door-to-door times and may need to adjust itineraries.
SWISS sets modest 65 % on-time target as summer schedule kicks off
Facing airspace congestion, summer storms and new border-control procedures, SWISS is aiming for only 65 percent flight punctuality this summer. The airline has added aircraft and crew buffers, but travel managers are already advising clients to build more slack into schedules or consider rail alternatives.