Hot Air
The ramblings of an avgeek
The enduring power of the WEF
Anyone reading this who thinks they have stumbled upon another wild conspiracy theory about controlling the world order is in for a huge disappointment. The subject of this ‘gasp of hot air’ is my love of what is often described as ‘doing the WEF’.
Allow me to explain. The annual general meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) has been held in the Swiss alpine resort of Davos-Klosters since 1971. The WEF is a non-profit organisation which focusses on promoting co-operation between both the public and private sectors. It would not be too much of an exaggeration to say that ‘anybody who is anybody’ has at one stage or another attended the annual five-day meeting. Heads of state and government, business leaders, academics, stars of stage and screen and half the world’s media all gather together to “attend sessions designed to spark fruitful discussions around the most pressing issues of the day” as the WEF publicity puts it.
Many of these high-profile delegates travel by air. While commercial airline flights to Zurich, the closest major airport to Davos, transport many visitors, there is a huge group who use private jets and government aircraft. It is this category which continues to draw a large number of photographers and enthusiasts to Zurich during the WEF, which is normally held in the third week of January.
Limited parking at Zurich Airport means that many private, government or corporate aircraft land, deposit their passengers and then relocate to other airports before returning once the business has been completed. Over the years, favoured spots have included Dubendorf, Geneva, Basel, Friedrichshafen, Altenrhein and Munich. WEF visitors have also ventured as far as Nice, Milan, Turin and even Barcelona. In recent years, the number of visiting aircraft in Zurich has fallen as a number of the smaller airports have introduced customs facilities which negates a stop in Zurich and allows for point-to-point operation.
Delegates to the WEF also have a clear pecking order when it comes to travelling to Davos, Europe’s highest town. World leaders are provided with helicopter transfers from Zurich using ski-equipped Pumas of the Swiss Air Force. Others use the services of a multitude of helicopter charter operators to cover the 20-minute flight into the mountains. For lesser mortals, and if the weather does not allow the helicopters to fly, ground transfers from limousines to the more mundane are the order of the day.
I made my first trip to Zurich to photograph WEF traffic in 2005. Being a WEF virgin I did not factor the best days for arrivals and departures so probably missed a lot of exotic traffic. I did however sign up for my very first ramp tour organised by specialist retailer BuchAir and the Zurich Airport authorities. The format was the same then as it is now. A two-hour guided bus tour of the ramp with access to take close-up shots of aircraft parked on the various stands. Over the years, the number of seats sold on each bus has increased noticeably and sadly the number of available tours has diminished. That said, in recent years a number of night tours have also been scheduled, allowing for night shooting skills to be honed. The spectacle of over 30 photographers, each sporting a tripod, trying to navigate their way on an off a bus, in the dark, in often frigid conditions is all part of the fun of the WEF week.
Including my first brief visit, I have clocked up some 17 visits to Zurich during the WEF. My trips have always taken on a familiar pattern – usually arriving a day or so before the event starts and then leaving a day after the WEF finishes to catch the departures. January in Zurich is not warm and most years we have had to contend with snow, rain or even sunshine despite freezing temperatures. One of my preferred locations is the top or penultimate level of car park P6 which allows coverage of movements on runway 28. It is when the strong winds are blowing the snowflakes through the open slats of the car park wall that you seriously question your sanity and ask the simple question – why do I do this? Getting older, that is a question I continue to ask much more regularly. P6, until the recent introduction of new and more difficult parking spots, also afforded my own regular opportunity to dust off my tripod and night shooting skills.
The reasons I keep returning are many – the interesting traffic, the authorities’ clear understanding and tolerance of what we are doing and the number of spots to use including a spacious viewing terrace, areas close to the terminals and at the end of the runways. Perhaps what keeps me coming back most of all is the people – that cliched camaraderie in the face of adversity. You don’t feel quite so cold when you have someone to moan about the cold to. Over the years I have met lifelong friends during the WEF and have been lucky enough to introduce other photographers from around the world to the quite obvious charms of a week in Zurich in January. The WEF has become as much about sitting in the airport food court nursing a few beers and putting the world to rights with likeminded thawing souls than about the exotic aircraft.
Because of Covid there was no WEF in 2021. In 2022, the meeting was held in May – the very idea. I gave this one a miss as it would definitely not have been the same – one cannot moan about frigid temperatures in May! After returning to Zurich in both 2023 and 2024 I have decided to forego my annual trip in 2025 as I will be ticking off a major entry on my bucket list as I head to Munich in mid-February for a few days recording aircraft arriving in connection with the annual Munich Security Conference. I will also be joined by members of our ‘WEF posse’, also looking to ring the changes. Variety is the spice of life but I think it more than likely that the lure of the WEF in 2026 will have me back in Zurich for the week.
My photo archive covering all 17 WEF weeks that I have done is wide-ranging and comprehensive. Contact me HERE for further details.
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