Sion Airport

Sion Airport^[a] (IATA: SIR, ICAO: LSGS) (Military: LSMS) is the airport of the city of Sion, Switzerland^[2] and is located 2.5 km southwest of Sion city in the Rhone Valley.^[3] The airport opened in 1935.^[4]

Sion Airport Aéroport de Sion
IATA: SIR ICAO: LSGS / LSMS
Summary
Serves	Sion, Switzerland
Elevation AMSL	483 m / 1,585 ft
Coordinates	46°13′10.53″N 7°19′36.35″E
Website	sionairport.ch
Map
SIR Location of airport in Switzerland
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 07R/25L 6,562 2,000 Asphalt 07L/25R 1,820 555 Grass
Statistics (2024)
Total passengers 31,842 Aircraft operations 41,965
Source: Statistics from Sion Airport.[1]

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines operate seasonal and seasonal charter flights at Sion Airport:^[5]

Airlines	Destinations
Air Mountain	Seasonal: Alghero,[citation needed] Calvi,[citation needed] Figari,[citation needed] Saint-Tropez,[citation needed] Southampton[citation needed]
Helvetic Airways	Seasonal: Palma de Mallorca[6]

The nearest larger international airport is Geneva Airport, approx. 110 kilometres (68 mi) 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^[7]

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.^[8] 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.^[9] 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.^[10]

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.^[11]

See also

• Transport in Switzerland