LUG - the end RIP
 

How do you feel about the possible closure of LUG ?

The grounding of JP (which operated the LX flights from LUG to ZRH) could mean there will be no longer scheduled flights from this airport. OS would have suitable planes tough.

Point to point traffic to ZRH does not make sense (fast train link open) and for connecting passengers MXP (and soon again renovated LIN) is and excellent airport with frequent flights to ZRH, FRA and MUC and a fantastic LH lounge.

Or will somebody miss the overzealous frustrated Swiss border guards, who instead of patrolling the "green border" with Italy, bothered tired business travellers coming home with the last flight ? Forum rules do not permit mentioning the nickname I gave them, I let you imagine.

I will not miss LUG which was too long a playing field for some local people (including the far right local strongman) who thought such an insignificant place like Ticino needs an airport.

For LUG to survive (and SIR to a certain extent) you'd need LX to accept it is running a public service which does not necessarily have to run a profit. Think flights for residents like in Sardinia or the Azores.

Now, since such a thing is absolutely insane given the new train connections, it is only time the airport focuses on general aviation if it can, or shuts its doors.

The limitations in aircrafts and expensive certification necessary to operate in LUG just make it extremely difficult to attract traffic.

I have written it here before: if LX offered a proper check-in desk at the train station where one could drop luggage off, get their BPs and jump on a direct train to ZRH, closing the airport wouldn't be a problem.

Hell, if saving jobs was so important, the city could help setting up such desk for any airline operating from ZRH or MXP, along with increased frequencies by train or road to the airports. But of course political posturing is more important.

It is sad, I've been flying from/to LUG since I was a kid. Arriving at the airport 20 minutes before departure or getting an "aperitivo" at the bar outside with family/friends just until boarding was priceless.

But times have changed. After the Ceneri tunnel opens, there will be no time advantage anymore between catching a train from Lugano to ZRH and connecting onwards vs. flying from LUG. For passengers from Bellinzona/Locarno it is already faster to get to ZRH by train and checking-in there and for passengers south of Lugano, Malpensa is closer. LX flights to Lugano became very unreliable lately, with too many cancellations. This naturally decreases trust in the flight and many passengers already migrated to the train or to MXP.

The best would be for SBB to do a direct train to ZRH Airport without having to change trains at Zurich main station. Lugano Airport should become a general aviation airport like Samedan. It could be run profitably without requiring much public money to stay open.

I echo the above comments about the lack of commercial justification of keeping scheduled flights from LUG.

All the same, I cherish my memories of 99.- "zap and fly" offers on the ZRH-LUG flights back in the days when LX meant Crossair, and the route was served with S2000s and Avro 85s (later found illegal). The flights were often wonderfully scenic, and Crossair served salmon canapés and champagne to all pax in their single-class turboprops.

Even then, it was clear that this was not financially viable - but the SAirGroup didn't care much at the time.

It always felt like stepping back in time whenever travelling from Lugano Airport - even the train from Lugano to the airport is something from a bygone age

Haven't done it very often, but when they operated, the flights from GVA to LUG could be spectacular. On one occasion the Crossair pilot left GVA early and as it was fine weather did a tour of the Matterhorn each way, so that everyone could see. Of course the flights never got up very high, so you were close to the action.

Let me just politely mention the Climate EMERGENCY.

Swiss has officially cancelled flights to LUG.

Source in Italian

Source in German

Amen, RIP.

That used to exist, and not just at Lugano. You could check in at all major railway stations (and even a few minor ones), drop off your luggage and get your BP in the past. This service no longer exists because of, apparently, security issues...

Funny how the security issues disappear for a small fee...

This is not at all the same service: what SBB offers is to deposit your luggage at the train station and then to pick them up at the airport. Then you have to check them in yourself with the airline.
With the previous service, they were checking you in and your luggage, and also issue the boarding pass.

I appreciate that, my point is that the security issue is presumably linked to accepting a piece of luggage separately from a traveler, a concern that disappears with this system. At any rate, I'm sure it wouldn't be an unsolvable problem if LX wanted to offer the service again. However why would they?

If you use the service, how would you answer the question sometimes asked at checkin (or OLCI): did you pack the luggage yourself and was it with you all the time ?

How little do you suppose LX were paying JP that they don't seek another wet lease? Or what dodgy deal was in place that JP would fly this for them? With Winter around the corner, there is hardly a shortage of this kind of wet lease.