Terminal A

Most intra-Europe flights at ZRH use the Schengen A pier

Gates A51–A86 sit in the main Zurich Airport building and handle Swiss and Edelweiss Schengen routes — think Paris, Rome, Berlin rather than long-haul. This pier connects directly to the central Airside Center, so you’re usually 5–10 minutes on foot from security to the furthest A-gate instead of taking the underground Skymetro out to the remote E gates.

Security for A and B/D sits in one central checkpoint above Check-in 1 and 2, with most early-morning queues building between 06:00 and 08:00. Once you’re through, you hit the Airside Center: a two-level mall-like spine with shops and food, then the corridor splits left toward A and right toward B/D. Walking from the middle of this plaza to an A7x gate normally runs about 5 minutes at a normal pace.

Terminal A is technically just the Schengen pier off this core, so a Swiss A-gate departure to, say, Vienna looks and feels like a short concourse off a shopping street. There are multiple restroom blocks spaced every 3–4 gates and water fountains you can spot along the wall near A60 and A70. Overhead signs in yellow show “Gates A” with arrows; follow those and ignore any baggage-claim signs if you’re connecting.

For Schengen–Schengen connections, you stay airside the whole time between A and B/D. TripAdvisor and Rick Steves regulars point out that you do not “change terminals” in the old sense; you just walk straight through the Airside Center. Figure 5–8 minutes from an A5x gate to a mid‑B gate, and build 45 minutes total if you’re tight on time so you’re not sprinting past duty free.

Seating around certain A-gates gets rough in the morning and early evening waves, especially when 3–4 Swiss Airbus departures stack within 30 minutes. A Skytrax reviewer mentioned finding both a free seat and a power socket only after moving two gates down from their assigned A-gate. If every row at A6x looks full, walk toward the end of the pier; it often opens up by A80+.

Power outlets in A skew toward floor boxes and columns, rather than every seat. You’ll usually find them under bar-height counters facing the windows and near the larger pillars close to gates like A58 and A72. If you need to charge a laptop from near-empty, grab a spot at one of these counters first and then roam for food.

Regulars planning tight connections use the Zurich Airport interactive map before flying, plugging in “A56” or “B32” to see the walking paths between piers. That pre-check avoids last-minute detours out toward arrivals, which would dump you to baggage claim and force another round of security. If an agent at your origin prints an A‑gate and a later B‑gate, treat it as one continuous concourse, not two terminals.

Food, shops, and lounges for A are mostly shared with the central Airside Center; think of the pier itself as gates plus basic kiosks. Since specific A-side restaurants aren’t catalogued here, assume your better options sit back at the Airside Center crossroads, 3–6 minutes from most A-gates. Check gate displays before leaving that hub so you don’t backtrack 10 minutes when your flight suddenly moves from A56 to A74.

Practical tip: if your Swiss or Edelweiss boarding pass shows an A-gate and you have under an hour to connect, skip the train to the E gates and stay in the main building; walking inside the A/B/D complex is usually faster than waiting for anything on wheels.