Nature and landscape –the airport as a habitat

To retain their ecological value, the green spaces require regular maintenance. Another reason for interventions is the security requirements of flight operations. Maintenance work in nature conservation areas is defined by the cantonal office for nature conservation in collaboration with Flughafen Zürich AG. Flughafen Zürich AG is responsible for maintaining the other, operational green spaces, e.g. along the runways.

The airport attracts many species of birds owing to its woodland, waterways and large open spaces. However, large birds and flocking birds in particular pose a safety risk to aircraft. Collisions of birds with aircraft (known as bird strikes) can have serious consequences and must therefore be avoided at all costs.

The green spaces on the airport site are managed in a way that makes them less attractive to birds. Most open spaces are managed as extensively used high-grass meadows. This serves the ecological value, as well as helping to prevent bird strikes. Tall grass makes it more difficult for birds of prey to spot prey on the ground. At the same time, it is also harder for flocking birds to settle here. Tailored measures also reduce the amount of food available. For example, weasels in particular are encouraged because they compete with birds of prey for food.

For building projects that affect green spaces, measures to protect nature must be taken to maintain the ecological value of the natural areas. Furthermore, Flughafen Zürich AG is obliged to proactively determine the ecological value of green spaces that it intends to build on and to ensure an equivalent replacement accordingly. This is done by improving suitable spaces elsewhere, for example.