Sion Airport

Sion Airport (Military: LSMS) is the airport of the city of Sion, SwitzerlandPriceline and is located 2.5 km southwest of Sion city in the Rhone Valley. The airport opened in 1935.

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines operate seasonal and seasonal charter flights at Sion Airport:

The nearest larger international airport is Geneva Airport, approx. to the west, while the smaller Bern Airport is equidistant to the north.

Statistics Below are the statistics since 2015 according to Sion Airport's Website

+Sion Airport annual traffic statistics Year Flights (movements) Passengers 2024 41,965 31,842 2023 41,925 35,929 2022 43,586 35,929 2021 41,857 25,970 2020 37,348 21,698 2019 38,088 25,992 2018 41,072 32,794 2017 41,218 32,477 2016 36,346 25,803 2015 40,242 32,550

Planned development To increase regional tourism and economy, the Canton of Valais released a proposed legislation in early 2024 for the Airport. The plan proposed the complete restructuring of the Airport's management and increasing the charter and seasonal flights it operates. It included the creation of a new public-majority company to manage all of the airport's operations. Following a period of consultation, the canton announced on the 27th of March 2024 that it would not follow the draft law. As a consequence, the existing concession held by the City of Sion will remain in effect until 2031, with no immediate reform or expansion project in the works. As of October 2025, Sion Airport still holds some commercial flight. It has been identified as a potential site for sustainable aviation initiatives which include projects with companies like H55 and research institutions such as EPFL and HES-SO.

Military usage The Swiss Air Force uses Sion as one of their four jetfighter air bases, the others being Payerne, Meiringen and Emmen. It is known as Flugplatzkommando 14 Sion. In addition to the prop-types Pilatus PC-6, Pilatus PC-7, Pilatus PC-9 and Pilatus PC-21 as well as helicopters, it uses Sion intensively with the fighter jets F/A-18 and F-5 Tiger. It is the home base of the militia pilot unit Fliegerstaffel 19 Swans with F-5E. Sion Airport is, at both ends of the runway, equipped with retractable arresting gear devices (used by the F/A-18 and in case of a problem by the F-5).

Due to the redimension of the Swiss Air Force, it was planned that the Air Force would leave Sion after 2017 and Sion would be used by civil aviation only, acting only as alternate airfield for the Air Force.

Sion Airport

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