The detailed design for the new Dock A at Zurich Airport is now available for public review. The structure, which is planned to be built largely of wood, will cost over 1 billion francs—significantly more than previously estimated.

Editorial

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June 19, 2026

The use of timber construction in an airport project of this kind is a first. (Photo: © Zurich Airport AG)

The Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) has resumed the planning approval process for the replacement of Dock A at Zurich Airport. According to the FOCA, Flughafen Zürich AG submitted the finalized documents for the detailed project in May. The plans, along with the environmental impact report, will be available for public review in Kloten through July 7 and can also be viewed online. On its dedicated project page, the airport operator now estimates the investment for the entire project—including a new control tower, which will be constructed separately—at over 1 billion CHF. In 2022, the airport operator had cited a figure of 700 million CHF.

Large-Scale Wood Construction

At the heart of the project is a terminal building that is to be constructed largely of wood on the passenger levels. According to the airport operator, this is unprecedented for a dock of this size. The roof of the terminal and the adjacent terminal wing—which is designed as an equilateral triangle and connects the new terminal to the existing Airside Center—is to be fully covered with photovoltaic panels. This would cover approximately two-thirds of the building’s annual electricity needs. In 2022, a planning team led by the firms BIG, HOK, and 10:8 Architekten won the design competition with their «Raumfachwerk» concept.

The new dock is being built north of the current location and will take over day-to-day operations only after it is completed; the existing Dock A will then be dismantled. It has been in operation since 1985 and, according to the airport, is used by about one-third of all arriving and departing passengers.

Case Status

In the fall of 2023, Flughafen Zürich AG submitted two planning permit applications—one for Dock A and one for the separately planned new control tower. The application for Dock A described the maximum dimensions and operational use of the new building and the apron at the new location; the process was suspended pending the submission of the detailed design, which has now been provided. A building permit has already been granted for the control tower: DETEC issued a final approval for the new structure on August 18, 2025; construction is scheduled to begin in 2027 and will take place before Dock A, which is slated for construction in 2030.

Real Estate Business reported on the initial plans for the replacement building reported in 2023, when the plan approval process was initiated.

 

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