Geneva - Cointrin
GVA Airport is also the second busiest Airport in Switzerland. GVA Airport is located 4 km (3 miles) northwest of the city center. Given its location, passengers can access the Airport from France and Switzerland. The Airport is essential for long-haul routes to the Middle East, China, North America, and many European metropolitan destinations.
On 11 October 1919, the Grand Council of Geneva approved the establishment of an "airfield" in Meyrin. The airfield was established in Cointrin, near the city of Geneva, covering an area of 54 hectares (130 acres). From 1926 to 1931, the airfield's wooden sheds were replaced by three concrete hangars. Lufthansa flew from Berlin to Barcelona via Halle, Leipzig, Geneva, and Marseille, while Swissair flew the Geneva–Lyon–Paris route via a codesharing agreement with Air Union. The first concrete runway, measuring 405 by 21 m (1,329 by 69 ft), was constructed in 1937. Eight airlines flew to Geneva in 1938, including Swissair, KLM, Lufthansa, Air France, Malert (Hungary), AB Aerotransport (Sweden), Alpar (Switzerland), and Imperial Airways (UK).
During World War II, the Swiss authorities forbade all flights from Switzerland, but the airport's expansion increased its area to 95 hectares (230 acres). The main runway was extended to 1,000 by 50 meters (3,280 by 160 ft), and a further 200 m (660 ft) runway was added near the war's end. There was also a provision for future expansion to 2,500 m (8,200 ft).
Post-World War II, Geneva was recognized as one of four main urban airports that were to form the first tier of the national airport system. Cointrin was well-suited for extension and did not require a triangular runway arrangement, as the prevailing winds are regularly along a single axis. A 2.3M Swiss Francs project was approved to build the first terminal in Geneva, and in 1946, the new terminal – now known as Terminal 2 – was ready for use. The runway was further enlarged to 2000 m, paving the way for larger aircraft. In 1947, the first service to New York started with a Swissair Douglas DC-4.
Passengers are boarding HB-ILI Douglas DC-4 of Swiss Air Lines in 1954.
Zoggavia Collection
On 17 July 1959, the first jet aircraft, an SAS Caravelle, landed in Geneva, ushering in a new era in aviation. It was followed by a TWA Boeing 747, which landed in 1970, a testament to the airport's continuous progress and development. In 1960, the runway at Geneva Airport was extended to 3,900 meters (12,800 feet) to accommodate jet traffic. This was an unusual length for an airport of its size and required France and Switzerland to exchange some territory. The end of the old runway had been the border between Geneva and the French town of Ferney-Voltaire. As a result, an international agreement was necessary to transfer the required land from France to Switzerland, with an equivalent area of land also transferred in the opposite direction.
In 1968, the airport authorities proposed the construction of a second runway and a mid-field round terminal to expand passenger capacity and accommodate increased air traffic.
HB-IMP Convair 440 Metropolitan of Swissair resting at GVA Airport in 1968. Zoggavia Collection
However, these plans were not realized. Instead, on 7 May 1968, the Geneva Main Terminal was inaugurated, capable of accommodating up to 7 million passengers annually. This milestone was reached in 1985. In 1987, a new train station was built near the main terminal to link Geneva Airport to the Swiss rail system. Since then, several modifications have been made to the airport, including the installation of jet bridges in two of the three in-field terminals and the construction of a new terminal in front of the main terminal with 12 jet bridges and two ground-floor gates.
