{{Infobox airport | name = Sion Airport | nativename = <small>''Aéroport de Sion''</small> | nativename-a = | nativename-r = | image = <!--airport logo--> | image-width = 200 | image2 = Aerial image of the Sion airport.jpg | image2-width = 250 | IATA = SIR | ICAO = LSGS / LSMS | FAA = | LID = | type = | owner-oper = | owner = | operator = | city-served = Sion, Switzerland | location = <!--if different than above--> | hub = | elevation-f = 1,585 | elevation-m = 483 | metric-elev = 483 | coordinates = {{coord|46|13|10.53|N|7|19|36.35|E|region:CH-VS_type:airport_source:dewiki}} | website = {{URL|sionairport.ch}} | pushpin_map = Switzerland | pushpin_map_caption = Location of airport in Switzerland | pushpin_label = SIR | pushpin_label_position = bottom | r1-number = 07R/25L | r1-length-f = 6,562 | r1-length-m = 2,000 | r1-surface = Asphalt | metric-rwy = | r2-number = 07L/25R | r2-length-f = 1,820 | r2-length-m = 555 | r2-surface = Grass | stat-year = 2024 | stat1-header = Total passengers | stat1-data = 31,842 | stat2-header = Aircraft operations | stat2-data = 41,965 | footnotes = Source: Statistics from Sion Airport.<ref name="sion-zak">{{cite web |url=https://www.sionaeroport.ch/de/zahlen-und-karten/ |title=Kennzahlen und Karte |trans-title=Key figures and map |language=de-ch |access-date=2023-02-07 |publisher=Sion Flughafen |website=sionaeroport.ch}}</ref> }}
'''Sion Airport'''{{efn|{{langx|fr|Aéroport de Sion}}, {{langx|de|Flughafen Sitten}}, {{langx|it|Aeroporto di Sion}}, {{langx|rm|Eroport da Sion}}}} {{airport codes|SIR|LSGS}} (Military: '''LSMS''') is the airport of the city of Sion, Switzerland<ref>[http://airlines.priceline.com/airlines/sion-airport.html Priceline] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080504171935/http://airlines.priceline.com/airlines/sion-airport.html |date=2008-05-04 }}</ref> and is located 2.5 km southwest of Sion city in the Rhone Valley.<ref>[http://www.piste25.ch/?pageid=situ&lang=eng Piste25]</ref> The airport opened in 1935.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sionaeroport.ch/en/our-airport/|access-date=5 May 2021|publisher=Sion Aeroport|title=About Us}}</ref>
==Airlines and destinations== <!--DO NOT ADD OR REMOVE ROUTES WITHOUT GIVING A VALID INDEPENDENT SOURCE. EXACT DATES ARE MANDATORY FOR NEW ROUTES TO BE ADDED HERE. ALSO ADD INLINE CITATIONS IF POSSIBLE.--> The following airlines operate seasonal and seasonal charter flights at Sion Airport:<ref name=official>{{cite web | url=https://www.sionaeroport.ch/en/flights/ | title=Flights }}</ref>
{{Airport destination list <!-- --> | {{nowrap|Air Mountain}} | '''Seasonal:''' Alghero,{{cn|date=April 2025}} Calvi,{{cn|date=April 2025}} Figari,{{cn|date=April 2025}} Saint-Tropez,{{cn|date=April 2025}} <!-- --> | {{nowrap|Helvetic Airways}} | '''Seasonal:''' Palma de Mallorca<ref>{{OAGWorldJuly2025Ref|title=Palma De Mallorca, Spain PMI|pages=880-886}}</ref> <!-- --> }}
The nearest larger international airport is Geneva Airport, approx. {{convert|110|km|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<ref name="Sion">{{cite web|url=https://www.sionaeroport.ch/en/figures-and-maps/|publisher=Sion Aeroport|title=Figures and Maps| access-date=5 May 2021}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;" |+Sion Airport annual traffic statistics |- ! Year ! Flights (movements) ! Passengers |- | 2024 || data-sort-value="41965" | 41,965 || data-sort-value="31842" | 31,842 |- | 2023 || data-sort-value="41925" | 41,925 || data-sort-value="35929" | 35,929 |- | 2022 || data-sort-value="43586" | 43,586 || data-sort-value="35929" | 35,929 |- | 2021 || data-sort-value="41857" | 41,857 || data-sort-value="25970" | 25,970 |- | 2020 || data-sort-value="37348" | 37,348 || data-sort-value="21698" | 21,698 |- | 2019 || data-sort-value="38088" | 38,088 || data-sort-value="25992" | 25,992 |- | 2018 || data-sort-value="41072" | 41,072 || data-sort-value="32794" | 32,794 |- | 2017 || data-sort-value="41218" | 41,218 || data-sort-value="32477" | 32,477 |- | 2016 || data-sort-value="36346" | 36,346 || data-sort-value="25803" | 25,803 |- | 2015 || data-sort-value="40242" | 40,242 || data-sort-value="32550" | 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Le Valais veut développer l'aéroport civil de Sion |url=https://www.lemanbleu.ch/fr/Actualite/Economie/Le-Valais-veut-developper-l-aeroport-civil-de-Sion.html |website=Léman Bleu |date=2 February 2024 |language=fr}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Le Valais ne développera pas davantage l'aéroport civil de Sion |url=https://www.blick.ch/fr/suisse/un-manque-de-reconnaissance-le-valais-ne-developpera-pas-davantage-laeroport-civil-de-sion-id19581052.html |website=Blick |date=27 March 2024 |language=fr}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news |title=Swiss aviation pioneer brings electric flights into the present |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/sci-tech/poised-for-take-off-_swiss-aviation-pioneer-brings-electric-flights-into-present/43203854 |website=Swissinfo |date=3 June 2017 |language=en}}</ref>
== 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.20min.ch/ro/news/romandie/story/-L-aviation-militaire-a-Sion-apres-2017--Pas-exclu--22973939 |last1=Martino|first1=Mirko|title="L'aviation militaire à Sion après 2017? Pas exclu"|publisher=20 Minuten|date=17 September 2015|access-date=5 May 2021|lang=fr}}</ref>
==See also== * Transport in Switzerland
==References== {{Reflist}}
===Notes=== {{Notelist}}
==External links== {{Commons category-inline}} * [http://www.sionairport.ch Official website] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20160304081927/http://aviation-safety.net/database/airport/airport.php?id=SIR Accident history for SIR] at Aviation Safety Network
{{Portalbar|Switzerland|Aviation}} {{Airports in Switzerland}}
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Sion Category:Buildings and structures in Valais Category:Sion, Switzerland Category:Swiss air bases