In the departure hall at the Zurich airport it was already on Thursday, a ghostly calm. And also in the air is nothing to see from the usual Crowd to. "Since the beginning of March, the traffic is decreased, the controlled air space of about 30 percent," says Skyguide-Sprecher Vladi Barrosa. Since Monday, the kink is particularly visible.

Particularly vividly in the will, if you pursue the position data of the starting the aircraft from Zurich. Like a brush, these paint a delicate network in the Swiss sky. Compared with a virus-free day in February is shown: This network is infected.

in The airport – Case pulse

The airport of Zurich is the heart of the Swiss air space. But since a week of this heart arrhythmia. It throbbed on Wednesday a week ago, still with a pulse of 321 Starts, fell only seven days later, on 240 aircraft.

A glance at the map shows, as the sky clears over Zurich. The main flight routes in the four directions of the sky are brighter in comparison with a corona-free air day in February, A sign that fewer aircraft flying the same Route. Particularly the East and South is greatly reduced.

views of the Zurich airport. Each line is for a plane. The darker a line, the more planes flying the same Route. The Animation shows conditions for two days with similar weather. The decrease of air traffic is clearly visible. Data: Opensky Network

Empty roads South

travel-aircraft operate on pre-defined routes such as highways. Instead of the A2 through the Gotthard fly on the UN850 to Ticino and to Italy. Jam, there is not there at the time. Flew at the glass-eichstag in the February 16 planes on this Route (red), were there on Wednesday just six. And of these six, only one landed on Italian soil.

Even more significant, this shows up on the airline road in the direction of Venice. Over the heads of the Zuger these in the direction of the East turn. More recently, we saw on a daily basis planes (orange), now this airway is left. of The air traffic in the South (red) decreases rapidly. Also to Venice (orange) rarely fly more planes. Data: Opensky Network

USA: The wall

The white Contrails in the sky will soon decrease even further. As of Friday, the United States draws an imaginary wall between Europe and America. Enter, then, for Europeans is no longer possible. The Swiss cancels most of their flights to the States. This way, will fall clear of the air space over Zurich (red) again.

most of The flights in the USA (eliminated red). The Swiss air space is empty again. Data: Opensky Network

views over the Canton border

The Atrophy of individual routes, such as those in the USA or Italy is due to the lock by Entry. But also in the whole of Switzerland, the Coronavirus in air transport, is shown. Bookings go back, holidays are postponed or rescheduled. The impact on each Route is visible, confirmed, Skyguide. On the map is clearly visible, as dark Bodies with many transport aircraft to decrease.

the darker the lines, the more planes flying the same route. That is less and less flights from Zürich to go out, on any Route that noticeable. Data: Opensky Network

Each canceled flight costs, Skyguide money

For the air traffic controllers facilitated by the fact that although the work, new problems occur. "We must have the staff, otherwise the MRP as we need at a low traffic volume, less air traffic controllers," says Barrosa. More serious, however: With each cancelled flight Skyguide loses money, because for every launch, every landing and every Overflight, Airlines pay a fee. This money is missing now, the Swiss air traffic control. "Although it is still early, could be the loss of the middle double-digit million range."

Created: 14.03.2020, 10:50 PM