Zurich flights resume after Skyguide radar fault halts takeoffs, closes eastern airspace

What happened

In the early hours of Sunday 21 June, Swiss air navigation service provider Skyguide suffered a technical radar malfunction. The company took the precautionary step of shutting down the airspace east of Bern, which includes the approach and departure routes for Zurich Airport. The result was an immediate halt to all takeoffs at Switzerland's busiest airport, with landings allowed only after 06:45. The fault was first reported by Tages-Anzeiger and later confirmed by airport officials to Swiss broadcaster SRF.

“Safety in Swiss airspace is our absolute priority. The current precautionary measures are aimed at protecting passengers, crews and all traffic.”

Skyguide convened a crisis unit and deployed specialist teams to diagnose and resolve the issue as quickly as possible. The exact technical cause remained under investigation through the morning.

Flight impact

The departure freeze affected more than 20 flights scheduled to leave Zurich before 07:00, according to SRF. The airport's departure board showed numerous delays and cancellations. Passengers at the terminal faced uncertainty until the gradual resumption of operations. Zurich Airport spokesperson Livia Caluori stated that landings had been authorised from 06:45 and that takeoffs would be phased back in from 07:45.

“Flight operations are being gradually restored from 07:45.”

Some early-morning travellers were rebooked on later services or directed to alternative transport, though the disruption period remained relatively short compared to major system-wide airspace closures.

Response and investigation

Skyguide issued statements in German, French and Italian expressing its commitment to transparency. The company apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers, airlines and partners, and pledged to communicate findings from its technical inquiry once available. The closure area, east of Bern, covers a zone frequented by arriving and departing traffic at Zurich, making it particularly sensitive to radar outages.

Current status

By 08:18 local time, departures from Zurich had resumed, though delays were expected to cascade through the morning schedule. The airspace closure has been lifted and the crisis team remains monitoring for any residual instability. Skyguide has not yet given a timeline for completing its root-cause analysis.