The bus tour presents Zurich Airport to visitors in all its variety. During the 75-minute tour, visitors can experience the airport from a whole new perspective. The group will be accompanied by an experienced guide.
The guide will meet the group in front of the tour desk on Observation Deck B. All of the guides at the Airport have years of experience in flight operations. They can explain exactly what can be seen at any given moment and answer questions expertly.
First, the guide will take the visitors to an anteroom where they can gain an overview of the airport site from a large-scale photograph. Then it is time to board the tour bus. The tour will start on the apron where the visitors can see aircraft from close up.
It will then continue on to the hangars where small and larger aircrafts will be overhauled. Unfortunately, the tour cannot stop there, but the visitors will usually catch sight of a plane in a hangar through the large windows.
Next, the bus will head past the noise protection hangar, Swiss Post International and the Airport prison. The bus tour continues through the Airfield Maintenance sheds which house the enormous Winter Services vehicles, as well as special tractors and mowers for the grassy areas of the airport grounds. After that, the group will spot the buildings of the professional fire service and the paramedics from the bus Windows and enjoy views of Dock B and the Airside Center. The Airside Center is the passenger hub of the airport and the architecture was designed to resemble a wing.
The next highlight is a stop by the intersection of runways 10/28 and 16/34. There, the group can disembark and watch planes landing and taking off from right up close.
After that, the tour bus will continue alongside Dock A where the visitors can watch planes being refuelled or unloaded. The tour will then pass the Airport freight area where enormous pallets are packed and loaded for transportation. On the way to the REGA (Swiss Air-Rescue) hangar, the visitors will see the stands for various private aircraft.
The trip continues along Dock E where large long-haul planes are parked. From Dock E, the bus will drive to the de-icing pad. In winter, this is where the planes are de-iced before take-off.
After a short trip through the airport conservation area, the bus will head through the tunnel and back to the starting point. The bus tour ends at Observation Deck B. The group will have the chance to spend some time on the observation deck and watch more planes taking off and landing.
Bus tour of the Airport
From the meeting point by the tour desk on Observation Deck B, the tour group will visit the following:
- Hangar
- Winter Services hall
- Fire service
- Runway intersection
- Conservation area
- REGA (Swiss Air-Rescue)
- De-icing pad
- Docks A, B and E
