International business –our activities abroad

In 2019, as part of a 40-year concession, Zurich Airport Ltd. obtained the mandate for the construction and operation of the new Noida International Airport. The new airport is around 80 kilometres south of Delhi and will play a crucial role in handling the anticipated growth in air traffic to the capital region.

The investment associated with the initial development phase amounts to around CHF 650 million for the construction period of around four years. Once the initial construction phase is commissioned, the new airport will have capacity for 12 million passengers a year. Zurich Airport Ltd. currently owns 100% of the operating company.

In November 2013, a consortium comprising Brazilian company Companhia de Concessões Rodoviárias (CCR) and Zurich Airport Ltd. was awarded the contract for a 30-year concession for the expansion and operation of the international airport in Belo Horizonte (CNF), which serves Brazil's third-largest metropolitan area with around 5.5 million inhabitants. Flughafen Zürich has a seat on the board of directors of the operating company BH Airport and holds the position of Chief Operation Officer.

In March 2017, Zurich Airport Ltd. won the concession for the expansion and operation of the international airport in Florianópolis in southern Brazil. This is the first airport project to be wholly owned by Zurich Airport Ltd. The concession is valid until 2047.

In March 2019, the Brazilian portfolio was expanded with the concession for both Vitória (VIX) and Macaé (MAE) airports. These airport projects are also wholly owned by Zurich Airport Ltd. 

The two airports in Florianópolis and Vitória are among the best-rated airports in Brazil.

As the latest addition to the portfolio, Zurich Airport Ltd. was awarded the concession to operate Natal Airport in northeastern Brazil in May 2023. The takeover of airport operations is expected for 2024.

Through subsidiary Aport S.A. in Santiago de Chile, Zurich Airport Ltd. indirectly holds the concessions for the two regional airports Antofagasta (ANF) and Iquique (IQQ) in northern Chile. The concession for Iquique has an expected duration of 18 years to a maximum of 25 years. The Antofagasta concession runs until 2025. Zurich Airport Ltd. holds a 100% stake in Aport S.A. and in Aport Operaciones. The latter is the operating arm of Zurich Airport Ltd. in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Since 2009, through Aport S.A., Zurich Airport has indirectly held a minority stake (9.7%) in Curaçao Airport Partners (CAP), the concessionaire of the airport in Curaçao (CUR), and acts as Chief Operations Officer. Experts at Zurich Airport Ltd. and Aport Operaciones S.A. support CAP in various fields, such as flight operations, commerce and infrastructure development.

Through a comprehensive service contract, Aport Operaciones supports the concessionaire of El Dorado airport in Bogotá (BOG) in all operational and technical matters. Under the service contract, Aport Operaciones assumes the role of Chief Operations Officer for the airport and a further six management positions.