Zurich Airport handles the largest volume of business aviation in Switzerland through its General Aviation Centre, with Jet Aviation and ExecuJet as principal FBOs. Geneva is the busier of the two for private traffic given its proximity to the French Alps and the Geneva private banking community, but Zurich serves the financial centre and the eastern lake communities. Regional airports at Altenrhein, Bern, Lugano and Samedan (for St Moritz) complete the network.
Swiss-based owners are a substantial client group for the fractional and jet card operators, with VistaJet, NetJets Europe and Flexjet all active. Jet Aviation, headquartered in Basel, is among the largest aircraft management and completion companies in the world.
Ownership structures for Swiss-based principals commonly use the Swiss register (HB), which is respected for its standards, or alternatively Malta, the Isle of Man or San Marino for VAT and operational reasons.
What to Look For in a Zurich Aviation Professional
- FBO relationships at Zurich and Geneva, and slot handling during the Davos and ski-season peaks
- Operator safety audits for charter and on-demand providers
- For Samedan and Alpine airports: aircraft and crew qualified for mountain operations
- For acquisition: Swiss (HB) registry experience and VAT importation advice