A new cargo hall is being built in the east of the Zurich-Kloten Airport site. The background is that the oldest buildings date from the 1950s and 1960s and no longer fully meet today's requirements in the freight business.

The Central and West Cargo Halls have been used at Zurich Airport for more than 60 years. At the time of construction, it was still common practice for freight to be shipped on standardized pallets. This has changed over the decades, as today an increasing number of small-sized and temperature-critical goods are being handled. The trend towards special cargo increases the need for suitable cargo space. With the construction of the Rächtenwisen freight facility as a modern transshipment and storage facility, Flughafen Zürich AG can meet the changing requirements.

In the east of the airport, a building with almost 9.500 square meters of space is being built, which will, among other things, offer 20 docking ramps for trucks, areas for import and export processes as well as for customs and security checks. Areas are also available for specialized processes for the handling of pharmaceutical and hazardous goods. On the south side of the building there is a mezzanine for offices. The new freight hall will be built as a concrete support structure with a wooden supporting structure and a photovoltaic system on the roof. After completion, the new Rächtenwisen freight hall will be rented and used by Dnata Switzerland AG, a service provider in the field of ground handling and freight.

According to current planning, commissioning is expected in 2027. As the country's largest airport, Zurich Airport is of far-reaching importance for the export and import of goods from and into Switzerland. Overall, around 50 percent of exports from Switzerland in terms of value are air freight. It is therefore important to have a functioning infrastructure and an intercontinental route network that takes demand into account.