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Last-Minute No-Fly Zone for U.S.-Iran Talks Triggers Air-Traffic Glitch, Cancelling 26 Zurich Flights
A last-minute restricted zone over Buergenstock triggered a radar glitch that halted take-offs and delayed dozens of departures at Zurich airport on June 21, 2026. Air traffic returned to normal by midday after Skyguide resolved the issue.
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A technical fault in air traffic control halted take-offs at Zurich airport for part of the morning of June 21, 2026, after Swiss authorities integrated a restricted zone over Buergenstock into radar systems at the Dübendorf control centre and Zurich airport’s control tower.
-Iran peace talks at the resort was finalized on Saturday, June 20, 2026, Skyguide said. The integration caused the glitch, prompting the authority to close the airspace east of Bern for several hours.
And aircraft already on approach were allowed to proceed. By midday, 12 arrivals and 14 departures had been cancelled, while at least 60 departures were delayed, a Zurich airport spokesperson told Reuters. m.
Once specialists identified and fixed the fault. m. on June 22, 2026. Skyguide said the measure was expected to have minimal impact because additional airspace sectors had been opened.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived at Buergenstock on June 21 for the talks, which Switzerland has described as taking place in a “discreet and reliable setting” roughly 50 kilometres south of the airport.
