Geneva airport, like London City airport and probably many other airports, is situated in the middle of living accommodation: it is an urban airport. Its growth over the last decade has had the result that more and more people living around it are complaining more and more strongly.
About three years ago the local population got enough signatures to propose a cantonal initiative requesting that the airport be subject to a more democratic control, with the intention of making a more favourable balance between the economic aspects and the need to protect citizens from increasing noise and health nuisances (https://carpe.ch/initiative/, in French).
In opposition to this, the right wing parties and the economy lobby created a counter-initiative which basically stripped bare the central propositions of the original initiative.
As of today, 23 November, the citizens of Geneva canton have voted by 55% to 45% to accept the original initiative and refuse the counter-initiative.
The shock waves of this vote, which went against the express wishes of the Geneva government, the Geneva economy lobby and the airport board of directors, will certainly reach well outside Geneva!
As for the future, who knows!
Best wishes, Mike Gerard
Vice-president of ARAG
