Private jets at Zurich Airport
Zurich has three runways and a General Aviation Center where business aviation handlers such as Jet Aviation operate, and every IFR movement needs an airport slot booked through a handler. Night rules are strict: private (non-commercial) flights may not operate at night (22:00-06:00), and the airport closes to regular traffic at 23:30.
- Longest runway
- 3,700 m
- Codes
- ZRH · LSZH
- Business aviation handling
- 5 handlers
See also Private jets to Zurich.
Business aviation handling
Business aviation passengers are processed at the General Aviation Center (GAC), which houses FBO receptions, a briefing room and a restaurant. Jet Aviation runs an executive terminal there. Passengers must be escorted between the GAC and the aircraft, and must pass an ICAO-standard security check before departure because the apron is shared with airliners.
Jet Aviation
FBO at the General Aviation Center, Kloten. Executive lounge with conference rooms, crew lounge with snooze and shower rooms, on-site immigration and customs. Open 06:00-22:00 daily.
BHS Aviation Switzerland
Listed by the airport as a business aviation handler. Open 06:30-22:00 daily.
Cat Air Service
Listed by the airport as a business aviation handler. Open 05:30-22:30 daily.
SWISS Privilege Aviation Services
Listed by the airport as a business aviation handler. No hours published.
Travelcoup
Listed on the airport's business aviation page. No hours published.
Worth knowing before you fly
- Private (non-commercial) flights cannot take off or land between 22:00 and 06:00, and charter departures must be planned by 22:00, with the last departure slot for charter at 21:45. An evening departure from Zurich needs a firm schedule.
- Every IFR movement needs an airport slot booked by the handler, and the slot must follow any change to the flight plan. Late passengers can mean a new slot request.
- During the World Economic Forum in late January, parking is capped at two hours, so expect to drop off and reposition.
- Passengers are always escorted between the General Aviation Center and the aircraft and are security-screened before departure, because the apron is shared with airliners.
- In winter we watch the weather closely and book a hangar where we can, which can save thousands against a de-icing bill.
Operating information
For business and private flights. Details change, so we check them again for your date.
Airport
| Opening hours | The operating regulations (state 20 March 2026) open the airport daily 06:00-23:30 local. Commercial flights may be planned until 23:00, with delayed flights allowed until 23:30 without special permission. Charter departures may only be planned until 22:00, with delayed departures allowed until 22:30. Non-commercial flights are not normally allowed at night (22:00-06:00). FBO hours published by the airport: Jet Aviation 06:00-22:00, BHS Aviation 06:30-22:00, Cat Air Service 05:30-22:30, all daily. |
|---|---|
| Prior permission | Every IFR movement, including positioning, training and maintenance flights, needs an airport slot before it operates. The slot comes through the dispatcher or the handling agent (FBO), and the slot ID goes in item 18 of the flight plan. VFR flights book through the airport's VFR slot tool, can be requested at the earliest the day before, and need a flight plan filed at least 30 minutes before departure. |
| Customs and immigration | Jet Aviation states that immigration and customs are on site at its Zurich FBO. |
| Slots | Zurich is slot-regulated. Business and general aviation slots cannot be requested from Slot Coordination Switzerland; they are booked through a handling agent listed in the AIP (unless the operator has self-handling approval from Flughafen Zürich AG). Slot use is monitored, and any flight plan change must be matched by a change to the allocated slot. |
| Noise and night restrictions | Night period 22:00-06:00. At night, only aircraft within the federal noise index limits may depart, and aircraft that normally exceed 95 dB(A) at the Oberglatt measuring point on a northbound departure are not allowed to depart 22:00-06:00. Slot Coordination Switzerland lists a slot-allocation curfew of 23:00-06:09 CET for arrivals and 22:46-05:44 CET for departures, with the latest allocatable departure slot at 21:45 CET for charter, training and technical flights, and states that no exceptions are made. Swiss federal law (OSIA art. 39, consolidated text of 1 July 2026) bans take-offs and landings of non-commercial flights 22:00-06:00 local at all Swiss aerodromes. |
| Aircraft parking | No general parking limit for business aircraft is published on the airport pages found. During the World Economic Forum annual meeting (end of January), parking is limited to 2 hours (Slot Coordination Switzerland). |
| De-icing | Jet Aviation lists Type I (premix) de-icing and Type IV (100%) anti-icing. |
| Other restrictions | Operators must use a handling agent listed in AIP Switzerland for LSZH unless they hold self-handling approval. All passengers and crew must be escorted between the GAC and the aircraft. VFR fixed-wing pilots must complete the airport's web-based training (no more than three years old). The airport warns that its runway and taxiway layout is complex and publishes runway incursion guidance for business aviation crews. |
Runways
| 16/34 | 3,700 m |
|---|---|
| 14/32 | 3,300 m |
| 10/28 | 2,500 m |
By road
| Zurich city centre | About 15 minutes (Jet Aviation figure) |
|---|
Flying times
| To | Distance | Light or midsize jet |
|---|---|---|
| Geneva | 124 nm | About 35 min |
| Nice | 235 nm | About 50 min |
| Paris | 261 nm | About 55 min |
| London | 430 nm | About 1h 20m |
| Manchester | 544 nm | About 1h 35m |
| Ibiza | 603 nm | About 1h 40m |
| Mykonos | 954 nm | About 2h 30m |
| Marrakech | 1,218 nm | About 3h 05m |
| Dubai | 2,575 nm | Long-range jet |
| New York | 3,410 nm | Long-range jet |
Nearby airports
Buochs
Donaueschingen-Villingen
Mollis
Neuhausen ob Eck
More airport guides nearby: Sion Airport, Geneva Airport, Milan Linate Airport, Nuremberg Airport, Venice Marco Polo Airport, Vienna Airport.
Questions
Is there a private terminal at Zurich Airport?
Yes. Business aviation passengers are processed at the General Aviation Center (GAC), which houses FBO receptions, a briefing room and a restaurant. Jet Aviation runs an executive terminal there. Passengers must be escorted between the GAC and the aircraft, and must pass an ICAO-standard security check before departure because the apron is shared with airliners.
What are Zurich Airport's opening hours for private flights?
The operating regulations (state 20 March 2026) open the airport daily 06:00-23:30 local. Commercial flights may be planned until 23:00, with delayed flights allowed until 23:30 without special permission. Charter departures may only be planned until 22:00, with delayed departures allowed until 22:30. Non-commercial flights are not normally allowed at night (22:00-06:00). FBO hours published by the airport: Jet Aviation 06:00-22:00, BHS Aviation 06:30-22:00, Cat Air Service 05:30-22:30, all daily.
Can I clear customs at Zurich Airport on a private flight?
Jet Aviation states that immigration and customs are on site at its Zurich FBO.
Checked 20 October 2026 from published airport, government and handler information (flughafen-zuerich.ch, media.flughafen-zuerich.ch, fedlex.data.admin.ch, slotcoordination.ch, jetaviation.com). Not for operational use; we confirm everything for your flight.
