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Data source: OurAirports (2026-09-01 Snapshot) · Methodology & Verification →

Zürich Airport

Compiled by Bill Gao

Zurich, Zürich (Switzerland)

IATA: ZRH ICAO: LSZH

Longest Active Runway

12,139 ft

3,700 meters

Field Elevation

1,417 ft

432 m MSL

Runway Inventory

4 active

Lighted / Paved

Coordinates & Class

47.4581°, 8.5481°

LARGE AIRPORT

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Multi-Universe Rankings & Statistical Standing

How ranks work →

RunwayFacts Published Dataset

tied #160 of 650

In curated primary commercial index

Global Commercial Universe

#248 of 7558

Top 3.4% percentile worldwide

For airports with equal runway length, the worldwide order does not indicate a length difference.

National Standing (Switzerland)

#2 of 2 in CH

#2 of 10 in full national registry

vs Large Airport Median

+21.4%

Compared to 10,000 ft baseline

💡 ZRH in numbers: 12,139 ft longest runway · tied #160 of 650 published · #248 of 7,558 worldwide (top 3.4%) · #2 in Switzerland.

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Editorial Aerodrome Deep Dive: Zürich Airport (ZRH)

Curated Aerodrome Profile

Zurich Airport is Swiss precision personified in civil aviation. Its three intersecting runways handle intense Swiss International Air Lines hub banks while balancing stringent bilateral noise agreements with neighboring Germany. Runway 16/34 provides 12,139 ft of paved surface for heavy long-haul departures over the Alpine foothills, supported by automated baggage routing and subterranean people movers.

Runway Layout & Magnetic Alignments

Three-runway intersecting triangular layout: 16/34 (12,139 ft / 3,700 m), 14/32 (10,827 ft / 3,300 m), and crosswind 10/28 (8,202 ft / 2,500 m).

Expansion Milestones & Predecessor Facilities

Opened in 1948 in Kloten, replacing the older Dübendorf military airfield. Developed Terminal E (Midfield) in 2003, connected by the subterranean Skymetro shuttle.

Regional Differentiation & Cluster Role

Primary aviation hub of Switzerland, operating alongside EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (BSL, 43 NM west) and Geneva (GVA).

Data Nuances & Operational Quirks

Subject to complex German airspace noise restrictions, forcing complex curved southern and eastern approaches and strict evening runway usage rotations.

📚 Official Aerodrome Sourcing: Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA Switzerland) · Skyguide Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP Switzerland)

Verification Methodology →

🔬 Operational & Aerodrome Engineering Comparative Analysis

Longest runway ≥10,500 ft

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Elevation & National Context

Lowland Aerodrome (<2,000 ft)

ZRH lies at 432 m (1,417 ft), #159 of 650 published airports by elevation and 74.3 percentile among 7,558 worldwide. It is 3 ft above the Switzerland median (1,414 ft, 2 airports) and the highest published airport in the country.

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Regional Density & Alternates (100 NM)

2 Qualifying Aerodromes in Vicinity

Closest of 2 paved-runway (≥5,000 ft) neighbours within 100 NM: EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg (BSL), 42.5 NM, 12,795 ft. Next: STR 78.7 NM. BSL has the radius's longest runway, 656 ft more than ZRH.

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Runway Inventory & National Standing

Primary Runway: 12,139 ft (3,700 m)

ZRH runways: 16/34 12,139 × 197 ft concrete (con); 14/32 10,827 × 197 ft concrete (con); 10/28 8,202 × 197 ft concrete (con); 01H/19H 1,010 × 91 ft grass. National standing: #2 of 2 in Switzerland; GVA leads by 656 ft (12,795 ft). +21.4% vs the 10,000 ft baseline.

🛫 Physical Runway Inventory & Surface Engineering

Runway Designator	Length (ft / m)	Width (ft / m)	Surface Material	Lighting	Status
16/34	12,139 ft (3700 m / 3.700 km)	197 ft (60m)	`Concrete (CON)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active
14/32	10,827 ft (3300 m / 3.300 km)	197 ft (60m)	`Concrete (CON)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active
10/28	8,202 ft (2500 m / 2.500 km)	197 ft (60m)	`Concrete (CON)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active
01H/19H	1,010 ft (308 m / 0.308 km)	91 ft (28m)	`GRASS`	❌ Unlighted	✅ Active

🧭 Comparative Aerodromes (100 NM Radius, ≥5,000 ft Paved)

Great-circle Haversine spatial proximity matching for commercial facilities with paved runway capacity within 100 NM.

Aerodrome Name	IATA	Distance	Longest Runway	Lighting
EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg (Bâle / Mulhouse)	`BSL`	42.5 NM (78.7 km)	12,795 ft	✅ Lighted
Stuttgart Airport (Stuttgart)	`STR`	78.7 NM (145.8 km)	10,974 ft	✅ Lighted

🛡️ Source: OurAirports Open Aviation Database, snapshot 2026-09-01 · Provenance →