Originally Posted by
NickB
I am glad to hear that it is now possible to transit at ZRH from a "clean" country to another one without having to go through security again. It has been a while since I flew via ZRH but it certainly was the case that you had to go through security again when arriving/departing from/to LHR. Last time I transited via ZRH to go to LON a little over a year ago I had to go through security again and this was coming from ... GVA which, unless I am mistaken, would normally be regarded as a "clean" departure airport at ZRH.
That was also true in Milan (both airports). Ditto for AMS. I seem to recall it being the same as VIE but it has been some time since I flew via there so maybe my memory is failing me. To be honest, my recollection is that the vast majority of European airports only allow to connect without clearing security again for flights coming from Schengen rather than for flights from a clean country simply because the way they have configured departures and arrivals do not allow for distinct flows from non-Schengen clean countries with some exceptions, such as MUC.
Certainly my expectation as someone who regularly originate in LON is that I will be expected to clear security again at the connection point and I am pleasantly surprised when this does not happen.
In ZRH this is the case since the opening of Dock B which has dual use (Schengen and non-Schengen) gates which can be set up in a way to channel transfer pax through security or not.
There is however one inconsistency: flights arriving at Dock E which is most of the longhaul flights and also carriers like BA. Most of the traffic there is from non-clean countries, but also some clean ones like USA and UK. Thus: if you fly from London on Swiss you use Dock B and you won't have to go through security again as a transfer pax. If you land on BA and are connecting you will have to go through security. Same for flights from US: some are arriving in Dock B (no security), some in Dock E (security).