One thing for sure, Geneva International Airport is no KLIA. Much, much smaller in size, the airport served about more than 11 million passengers in 2008.
One may wonder, why the hell this post is about the Geneva International Airport, and not other interesting stuff in Geneva?
Well, the thing is, I found out this airport is rather unique and has interesting characteristics. Beside, yesterday, I had the privilege of touring the airport itself, which include the runaway, the VIP room and all things which is normally not accessible to the just-passing-through airlines passengers.
Fact # 1
The airport lies between two mountain range which are the Jura mountain range and the Alps. I was told that this meant there is not crosswind factor here. And if I am not mistaken thats also the reason for the single runway at the airport. What significance this facts to the airplanes landing and taking off in Geneva International Airport, honestly, I don't have any idea.
Fact #2
The Geneva International Airport can be accessed from both France and Switzerland due to it really close proximity to the Swiss/ France border. That means, passengers in the France sector do not have to go through Swiss immigration and customs as long as they remain there. I was informed that this arrangement was made way back when the Swiss government wanted to expand the runway and there is no other way to do it except on the French side. Thus the French government retain it rights in form of sharing the airport with the Swiss. Lucky that they arrived at this unique and amicable solution. Otherwise, who knows what will happened.
Fact #3
Switzerland is a party to the Schengen Area countries which had abolished all border controls between each other. In a simpler terms, no passport stamping, no visa needed if a traveller travels between these countries. Fro example if a passenger arrived in Geneva International Airport from Frankfurt, Amsterdam or Paris, they can just walk through the arrival gates, to the luggage area, collect their bagages and disappear into Switzerland. There is no immigration and customs counters in the airport since December 2008. Very convenient.
Fact #4
Geneva International Airport is well connected with trains, buses and the regular taxi services. What makes it different from KLIA is that there are free public transportation ticket dispenser machines before the exit. Passengers can travel to the Geneva city centre transportation station using buses or trains. It has a 80 minutes time limits. Would love to see that kind of free stuff services in KLIA, no need to pay for expensive limousines or be conned by the ulat teksi.
Fact #5
While my group visited the runway in the airport, we noticed there were a lot of birds, big black ones, calmly minding their own businesses, amidst the very loud noise made by the obvious airplanes landing and taking off. I asked a question to the person in charge, "Aren't these birds poses a danger to those aircrafts?". She answered "Oh, dont mind them, they know where they are not suppose to be. We never had a bird sucked in a jet engine before, here in this airport". Such confident answer of course made me looked at the other colleagues, with raised eyebrows. But, what do I know anyway about large flock of birds happily trudging the airport runways.
So there, now you know a little bit about Geneva International Airport.
I am done here.
One may wonder, why the hell this post is about the Geneva International Airport, and not other interesting stuff in Geneva?
Well, the thing is, I found out this airport is rather unique and has interesting characteristics. Beside, yesterday, I had the privilege of touring the airport itself, which include the runaway, the VIP room and all things which is normally not accessible to the just-passing-through airlines passengers.
Fact # 1
The airport lies between two mountain range which are the Jura mountain range and the Alps. I was told that this meant there is not crosswind factor here. And if I am not mistaken thats also the reason for the single runway at the airport. What significance this facts to the airplanes landing and taking off in Geneva International Airport, honestly, I don't have any idea.
Jura Mountain Range
The Alps
Fact #2
The Geneva International Airport can be accessed from both France and Switzerland due to it really close proximity to the Swiss/ France border. That means, passengers in the France sector do not have to go through Swiss immigration and customs as long as they remain there. I was informed that this arrangement was made way back when the Swiss government wanted to expand the runway and there is no other way to do it except on the French side. Thus the French government retain it rights in form of sharing the airport with the Swiss. Lucky that they arrived at this unique and amicable solution. Otherwise, who knows what will happened.
Fact #3
Switzerland is a party to the Schengen Area countries which had abolished all border controls between each other. In a simpler terms, no passport stamping, no visa needed if a traveller travels between these countries. Fro example if a passenger arrived in Geneva International Airport from Frankfurt, Amsterdam or Paris, they can just walk through the arrival gates, to the luggage area, collect their bagages and disappear into Switzerland. There is no immigration and customs counters in the airport since December 2008. Very convenient.
Fact #4
Geneva International Airport is well connected with trains, buses and the regular taxi services. What makes it different from KLIA is that there are free public transportation ticket dispenser machines before the exit. Passengers can travel to the Geneva city centre transportation station using buses or trains. It has a 80 minutes time limits. Would love to see that kind of free stuff services in KLIA, no need to pay for expensive limousines or be conned by the ulat teksi.
Fact #5
While my group visited the runway in the airport, we noticed there were a lot of birds, big black ones, calmly minding their own businesses, amidst the very loud noise made by the obvious airplanes landing and taking off. I asked a question to the person in charge, "Aren't these birds poses a danger to those aircrafts?". She answered "Oh, dont mind them, they know where they are not suppose to be. We never had a bird sucked in a jet engine before, here in this airport". Such confident answer of course made me looked at the other colleagues, with raised eyebrows. But, what do I know anyway about large flock of birds happily trudging the airport runways.
So there, now you know a little bit about Geneva International Airport.
I am done here.
I actually envy your Geneva aerial views. An old friend told me that while being there you should have taken a house by the lake. I don't really understand what he meant.
ReplyDeleteE43St: What house ner the lake? You were conned by him bro. Hahahha
ReplyDeleteOnce stood on a crumbling medieval Welsh tower with bits of loose stone falling with every step... cant help but move closer n closer to the edge regardless of any safety devices. All for a glimpse of that Welsh hunk called Snowdon...
ReplyDeleteI conquered my fear but still hate heights!!
Hi,
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