A fast-moving Atlantic low pressure system swept across central Europe overnight, bringing squalls, freezing rain and pockets of heavy snow to Switzerland on 3 January 2026. By dawn, surface conditions at Zurich Airport (ZRH) and Geneva Airport (GVA) had deteriorated enough for the airports’ de-icing queues and runway-clearing cycles to lengthen sharply. According to flight-tracking platform FlightAware, more than 150 departures or arrivals at Zurich and over 90 at Geneva were delayed, while each airport cancelled a handful of mainly short-haul services. Although Swiss hubs are renowned for all-weather resilience, the combination of cross-winds, poor braking action and crew duty-time limits forced airlines to thin out morning schedules.
The disruption quickly rippled through the European network. Swiss, Lufthansa and easyJet—all with large operations in Switzerland—implemented so-called ‘snow-event’ plans, waiving re-booking fees and offering voluntary refunds. Long-haul connections to New York, Singapore and Hong Kong left several hours late, jeopardising passengers’ onward itineraries. Cargo operators were also hit, with freight forwarders warning pharmaceutical shippers of possible temperature-excursion risks if tarmac dwell times increased.
Airport authorities activated their passenger-care playbooks, distributing bottled water and meal vouchers and opening extra family lounges. Geneva Airport said it had pre-positioned snow-equipment crews after meteorological models pointed to an overnight change from rain to wet snow, yet the intensity exceeded forecasts. Zurich’s operator, Flughafen Zürich AG, urged travellers to arrive early but to check airline apps before setting out, noting that rail and road access to the airport were also slowed by the weather.
![Winter Storm Grounds and Delays Hundreds of Flights at Zurich and Geneva Airports]()
Amid such uncertainty, travellers confronted with unplanned stopovers or reroutings often discover they also need fast visa assistance. VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) specialises in securing or extending Swiss visas and transit permits for neighbouring countries at short notice, offering online applications, real-time tracking and expert support that can keep disrupted itineraries on track.
For business-travel managers the incident is a reminder that Switzerland—despite first-class winter infrastructure—can still experience sudden weather-related mobility shocks. Companies with critical meetings on 3-4 January reported shifting them online or redeploying staff to Basel-Mulhouse (BSL/MLH) and Milan Malpensa (MXP), which suffered fewer delays. Travel-risk firms recommend building at least a half-day buffer into winter itineraries that require same-day onward rail connections to Alpine client sites.
Meteorologists at MeteoSwiss expect the storm front to clear eastern Switzerland by late evening, but warn that temperatures will remain below freezing through 4 January, raising the risk of black ice on access roads and possible early-morning de-icing backlogs. Airlines plan to restore full schedules by 5 January, subject to crew and aircraft rotations returning to normal.
The disruption quickly rippled through the European network. Swiss, Lufthansa and easyJet—all with large operations in Switzerland—implemented so-called ‘snow-event’ plans, waiving re-booking fees and offering voluntary refunds. Long-haul connections to New York, Singapore and Hong Kong left several hours late, jeopardising passengers’ onward itineraries. Cargo operators were also hit, with freight forwarders warning pharmaceutical shippers of possible temperature-excursion risks if tarmac dwell times increased.
Airport authorities activated their passenger-care playbooks, distributing bottled water and meal vouchers and opening extra family lounges. Geneva Airport said it had pre-positioned snow-equipment crews after meteorological models pointed to an overnight change from rain to wet snow, yet the intensity exceeded forecasts. Zurich’s operator, Flughafen Zürich AG, urged travellers to arrive early but to check airline apps before setting out, noting that rail and road access to the airport were also slowed by the weather.
Amid such uncertainty, travellers confronted with unplanned stopovers or reroutings often discover they also need fast visa assistance. VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) specialises in securing or extending Swiss visas and transit permits for neighbouring countries at short notice, offering online applications, real-time tracking and expert support that can keep disrupted itineraries on track.
For business-travel managers the incident is a reminder that Switzerland—despite first-class winter infrastructure—can still experience sudden weather-related mobility shocks. Companies with critical meetings on 3-4 January reported shifting them online or redeploying staff to Basel-Mulhouse (BSL/MLH) and Milan Malpensa (MXP), which suffered fewer delays. Travel-risk firms recommend building at least a half-day buffer into winter itineraries that require same-day onward rail connections to Alpine client sites.
Meteorologists at MeteoSwiss expect the storm front to clear eastern Switzerland by late evening, but warn that temperatures will remain below freezing through 4 January, raising the risk of black ice on access roads and possible early-morning de-icing backlogs. Airlines plan to restore full schedules by 5 January, subject to crew and aircraft rotations returning to normal.
