Introduction

Geneva Airport is the second busiest airport in Switzerland, after Zurich Airport, welcoming over 16.5 million passengers annually. It is a popular destination for those seeking Swiss culture and nature.

The airport first opened in 1919. Initially, it started as a small airfield. In 1937, it got its first concrete runway. Despite the Swiss authorities forbidding all flights from Switzerland throughout the Second World War, the airport still underwent various expansions during this period.

The airport serves the Swiss city of Geneva, which is known for its global influence in finance and diplomacy, as well as its rich cultural offerings. Unlike some summer destinations, Geneva attracts tourists year-round with its diverse attractions, regardless of the weather. Visitors can always find something to do or see in the area, and they can also enjoy Swiss cheese and chocolate, which offer unique tastes and experiences.

The first terminal at the airport was completed in 1946, and since then, the airport has undergone several renovations and new projects to improve and expand its facilities. Today, the airport has two terminals for passenger traffic and one terminal for business aviation.

Looking to the future, there are proposals to restrict aircraft carrying fewer than a hundred passengers from flying to the airport, which would reduce overall traffic while increasing the number of passengers per aircraft. While this idea has not been approved yet, it could potentially help manage the airport's growing traffic. In the meantime, officials are exploring other solutions to accommodate the increasing demand.

Geneva Airport offers numerous destinations worldwide and serves as a hub for Swiss International Air Lines, as well as an operating base for easyJet Switzerland. Along with many other airlines, the airport is connected to cities such as New York, London, Dubai, Oslo, and more. These airlines collectively bring over 16.5 million passengers to Geneva each year and handle around 173.000 aircraft movements.

JetStream Designs has released its version of Geneva Airport, aiming for realism and accuracy. As stated by JetStream Designs, the scenery includes a highly detailed and accurate recreation of the airport, fully functional VDSG at all stands, modeled interiors of all terminal buildings, dynamic airside traffic, custom GSX profile, night lighting, and more. These features make the scenery as immersive as possible.

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Installation

Since the scenery package is installed through the Contrail App, the installation process will be completely stress-free with just a one-click install.

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First Impressions

The last time I flew into Geneva, in any simulator, was back when I used P3D v4. This was quite a while ago, so it was nice to return to the Swiss airport. I had forgotten how stunning the approach was, and after landing, I had to check out the surroundings in the drone cam. Upon initial thoughts, the airport did not disappoint either. Solid texturing and visuals were my initial impression.

Whenever I get a new airport for the flight simulator, I like to use the drone camera to fly around and explore the airport. During my first exploration, I noticed a highly detailed terminal interior, moving ground equipment, and overall great attention to detail. Having visited Geneva in the past, I was hoping for an accurate representation in the simulator, and I was pleased with what I saw during my initial inspection.

The airport interior is detailed and impressive. Everything from the passengers to the departure boards and Rolex wall clocks has been carefully crafted. The massive glass windows at the terminals provide the pilots with a pleasant view of the terminal and its interior upon arrival.

Modelling / Texturing

The attention to detail in the scenery modeling is truly commendable. The thorough texturing of the scenery results in a highly realistic depiction of Geneva Airport in Microsoft Flight Simulator, enhancing the overall user experience.

As I mentioned before, in addition to the exterior of the terminal, it also has a 3D interior. Although the interior might have a small impact on performance, a nice-looking interior is always welcome in my opinion.

At the apron, you can find detailed ground clutter including baggage wagons, vans, buses, and snow-ploughing trucks. These elements, both static and dynamic, bring the airport to life, adding an extra layer of realism and activity to the airport environment.

Furthermore, the scenery includes a GSX profile that can be easily installed through the Contrail App, providing seamless GSX integration.

The taxiways, ground markings, and runways in the scenery have been designed to reflect real-life conditions as realistically as possible, while also showing the wear and tear caused by airport traffic over the years. This makes it easier for virtual pilots to see where to go and where others have been.

Night Lighting

I prefer flying during the daytime because there's so much more to see. However, I also appreciate the beauty of night and darkness. When it does get dark, there's no need to worry about getting lost at this airport. The stunning night lighting brings the airport to life after dark.

Performance

For reference, here are the details of my setup: Nvidia RTX 3070 8 GB, Intel i5-12600K, 32 GB RAM, and a 1 TB SSD.

When it comes to performance in Geneva, I was impressed. While flying the Fenix A321, the performance was steady at 45 FPS, and the drone camera reached a similar level at just under 45 FPS. Considering the size and detail of the airport, I was pleasantly surprised with the performance.

Conclusion

JetStream Designs has created a new airport scenery, this time in Switzerland. With assistance from Marcus Nyberg and Geneva Airport, the team has developed a highly realistic and current version of the Swiss airport. Priced at $21.11, it's not the cheapest option available, but it's also not the most expensive. Despite the cost, the package offers a lot, including an accurate depiction of the airport, detailed interiors, and dynamic airside traffic. There's plenty to explore at the Swiss airport in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

A big thank you to JetStream Designs for providing us with a copy to review!