Regulations at Genève Aéroport

At Genève Aéroport, departures scheduled before 22:00 but delayed beyond this time are subject to a noise quota system.

At the beginning of each calendar year, airlines operating flights between 20:00 and 22:00 are allocated a number of quotas. These quotas are distributed among eligible airlines in proportion to the number of flights scheduled during this time window in the previous year.

Once an airline has used all its quotas, any departure delayed beyond 22:00 is considered out-of-quota and is subject to a strongly progressive charge.

This system aims to limit late departures, reduce noise disturbances for local residents, and comply with the permitted noise levels set by the authorities. The noise quota system is defined in the Operating Regulations of Genève Aéroport (Art. 2).

Useful resources:

• Noise quota operating rules
• Operating regulations (as of 1 January 2025)
• FAQ – Noise Quota System

To renew their license (logbook hour verification), private pilots must visit the aviation authority service of Genève Aéroport at C4.

Opening hours:

• Monday to Sunday, 14:00–15:00 by appointment only
• Appointments by phone: +41 22 717 71 28

In light of traffic growth and evolving international standards, Genève Aéroport commissioned an independent institute to analyze the coexistence of light aviation (sport aviation, training, etc.) and commercial aviation (scheduled and charter flights), from a safety perspective.

At the end of 2016, the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) granted Genève Aéroport certification confirming that the organization and documentation of processes related to infrastructure safety and airport operations comply with the requirements of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

This certification applies to airports handling scheduled and charter traffic that meet specific technical criteria. Genève Aéroport was the first Swiss airport to obtain this certification, followed by Zurich, also among the first certified airports in Europe.

EASA defines standards and recommendations applicable to aerodrome processes impacting safety. These requirements ensure the continuous safety and proper functioning of airport infrastructure.

These processes are described in an aerodrome manual, the reference document of the Safety Management System (SMS), detailing how risks related to airport operations are identified, assessed, and controlled.

FOCA, in collaboration with the relevant airports, has established the general framework for aerodrome manuals and safety management systems. Based on this framework, each aerodrome defines procedures adapted to its infrastructure.

Certified aerodromes are subject to regular inspections by FOCA to ensure ongoing compliance with EASA standards.

Access to the ground handling market for scheduled and charter traffic at Genève Aéroport is governed by the relevant regulation.

In accordance with Article 10 of the Operating Regulations of Genève Aéroport, this regulation implements Council Directive 96/67/EC of October 15, 1996, on access to the ground handling market at Community airports (Official Journal L 272 of 25/10/1996), transposed into Swiss law under Article 29b of the Ordinance on Aviation Infrastructure (RS 748.131.1).

This regulation was approved by the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) on July 11, 2008.