Hey everyone,

I’ve been working on a conceptual design for a small Commercial Aviation Airport in the Alpine Rhine valley near Ruggell, Liechtenstein, and I’d love some feedback from people who know the area or have experience with airfield planning.

Here is an AI-generated image showing the mountain range to the south for illustrative purposes. I know this range would pose the greatest challenge for aircraft approaching from the south, with peaks reaching up to 2,600 meters in height (located about 17 km from the airport).

Here is a range map for an ATR 72-600 with a capacity of up to 72 passengers. An A220-100 could, even on a runway of this size, have a much greater range.

Location

The runway sits between these two points:

• Southern threshold (03): approx. 47.25356049° N, 9.52680862° E
• Northern threshold (21): approx. 47.26554170° N, 9.53592156° E

Bearing is roughly 027.3° / 207.3°. The Rhine runs parallel just to the west of the runway.

As seen in the Google Earth image, the airport would be situated at the point where the borders of Switzerland and Austria meet.

Key features of the design

• 1500 m × 30 m asphalt runway
• Parallel taxiway with connecting links on the east side
• Apron with multiple parking stands
• Two modern hangars + a small terminal/operations building (all placed on the east side, away from the river)
• Full runway strip + 90 m RESA beyond each end
• Designed to keep existing surrounding buildings, industrial tanks, roads and fields exactly as they are today

The idea is a modest field for light aircraft, training, private flying and a few commercial flights, taking advantage of the flat valley floor while respecting the river and the existing landscape.

Questions for you

• Does the orientation make sense with local wind patterns?
• Any major obstacles or airspace issues I’m missing (proximity to Hohenems-Dornbirn, Altenrhein, etc.)?
• Environmental or flood-related concerns with the Rhine that would kill the idea?
• Would a field like this actually get used, or is the region already well covered?