From next January, travellers from Zurich Airport will benefit from a brand new destination, with SWISS announcing that it will start to run direct services between the airport and Rotterdam. With flight capacity set to be curtailed at Amsterdam Schiphol, the six-time weekly service is seen by many as a way to maintain capacity, while also offering Swiss travellers fast connections to the "Gateway to the World".

Direct flights between Switzerland and Rotterdam for the first time

In a statement given to 20 Minuten, the flag carrier airline of Switzerland SWISS confirmed that it would start flying direct services from Zurich to Rotterdam on January 22, 2024. The destination will be served six times a week and will be permanent rather than seasonal.

This will mark the first time Rotterdam is connected to an airport in Switzerland. The city is part of the “Randstad” metropolitan area in the Netherlands, which the airline labelled as the country’s economic and cultural centre. The new service is seen as a response to events at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, which has been ordered by the Dutch government to reduce the number of flights able to take off and land by 40.000 next year in a bid to reduce noise and air pollution.

Rotterdam: A city well worth a visit

Known for the Erasmus Bridge and cube houses, the port city is home to a diverse cultural scene, fascinating museums and captivating nightlife. “Rotterdam is a melting pot of cultures and offers a unique mix of history and future, making it a fascinating travel destination,“ 20 Minuten wrote.

Those taken aback by the sheer size of Schiphol will be pleased to learn that Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM) is quite a small and simple airport to fly to and from. After a one-hour, 30-minute flight from Zurich, the city is 10 minutes away by driving or 20 minutes by public transport. The Hague is only half an hour from the airport and Amsterdam itself is roughly an hour away.

Speaking to 20 Minuten, SWISS head of network management Benedikt Escher said that “it is our mission as a Swiss airline to offer our passengers an attractive, diverse route network…We are very pleased that with Rotterdam we can add a new destination to our program that is worth a trip in every respect.” The route can now be booked directly from the SWISS website and from other booking providers.