Lugano Airport

Lugano Airport represents a regional facility located approximately 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) west of the Swiss city of Lugano, about 80 kilometers north of Milan, in the municipalities of Bioggio, Agno, and Muzzano. The airport lies closer to the village of Agno than to Lugano itself and sometimes is referred to as Lugano-Agno.

Lugano Airport

Lugano Airport represents a regional facility located approximately 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) west of the Swiss city of Lugano, about 80 kilometers north of Milan, in the municipalities of Bioggio, Agno, and Muzzano. The airport lies closer to the village of Agno than to Lugano itself and sometimes is referred to as Lugano-Agno.

Around 200,000 commuters use the facility each year, using some 2,400 flights. There are also limited freight operations, flight school, and a flying club. The headquarters of Darwin Airline was situated at the airport before its bankruptcy.

The property is located on land owned by the city of Lugano. At the same time, management is the responsibility of Lugano Airport SA, whose shares are owned by the city (87.5%) and the canton of Ticino (12.5%). The company includes 73 employees and an annual turnover of 10 million Swiss francs.

History

The current location of the facility dates back to 1938 when it originally was opened as a grass field. The very first paved runway was laid in 1960 and initially had a length of 1,200 meters (3,900 ft) and a width of 30 meters (98 ft). Formerly managed by private sector companies, the airport was taken over by the Azienda, Lugano’s municipal transport organization, in 1974.

During the early 1980s, the airline Crossair determined to invest in the airport, establishing connections between Lugano and several European cities. In 1985, the runway was lengthened by 150 meters (490 ft), and in 1989 a new control tower became operational.

After the demise of Adria Airways in 2019, which operated the route to Zürich Airport on behalf of Swiss International Air Lines, Lugano lost its sole year-round scheduled service as Swiss will refer its commuters to train services in the future without resuming the flights.