While queues at Swiss airports are not unusual during the summer when many families choose to head off on holiday, a recent report by Nau has revealed that staff shortages are exacerbating delays at Zurich Airport. The country’s largest airport has been struggling to keep up with the rising number of passengers, while people travelling out of the EuroAirport in Basel enjoy significantly shorter queues. 

Maximum 15-minute wait at Basel Airport

Over the Pentecost weekend, many travellers departing through Zurich Airport found themselves queueing for more than 30 minutes to get through security, while those landing at the airport also faced delays at passport control. The main reason: a staff shortage at the Zurich cantonal police force, who are responsible for security checking carry-ons and passports. 

Over at EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, the story is different. While a 30-minute plus wait has become the norm in Zurich, the wait time at security in Basel throughout the month of May has not once exceeded 15 minutes, according to Swiss news outlet Nau. While not as speedy as Basel, waiting times in Geneva are also shorter.

Basel airport faster due to private company involvement

Nau explained that the airport at Basel does not suffer from severe staff shortages, as the airport relies on a private company to run their security checks, instead of the police. “Waiting times averaging eight to twelve minutes at the security checkpoint have been recorded in recent weeks”, the airport told Nau. 

Thanks to the longer waiting times, tourism expert Jürg Schmid told Nau that he believes flying has “lost its charm”. “Increased security checks, delays and queues, much of it explainable and inevitable, lead to the fact that more and more vacations only begin after the flight”, he concluded. 

Image: Shutterstock.com / Michael Derrer Fuchs