Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS)1 transported a total of 14,293,356 passengers in the first nine months of this year, a 4.4% increase on the same period in 2018. The passengers were carried on 114,968 flights, 5.4% more than were operated in the prior-year period.
Total passenger capacity for January to September was up 1.9% on the prior-year period in available seat-kilometre (ASK) terms. Total traffic volume, measured in revenue passenger-kilometres (RPK), rose 2.2%. Systemwide seat load factor for the period improved accordingly to 84.2%, an increase of 0.2 percentage points.
In the month of September SWISS carried 1,724,647 passengers, a 6.4% improvement on the same month last year. The 13,404 flights operated were a 6.2% increase on the prior-year period. Total ASK capacity was raised 2.4%, while total RPK traffic volume was up 2.1%. Systemwide September seat load factor declined accordingly to 86.2%, a reduction of 0.3 percentage points.
In other news, Swiss is gradually putting its Airbus A220 fleet back into service after grounding them on Tuesday after a “serious” engine issue on HB-JCM that forced a London-Geneva flight to make an emergency landing in Paris.
The short-term grounding allowed the carrier to perform safety inspections on the A220 Pratt & Whitney engines. Full A220 operations are expected tomorrow.
The airline issued this update today:
Situation
The ongoing technical inspections of several aircraft will restrict our flight operations. As a result many flights will be cancelled.
Date
Flight no
Flight
Status
Oct 16
LX 348 / 349
Geneva-London-Geneva
cancelled
Oct 16
LX 352 / 353
Geneva-London-Geneva
cancelled
Oct 16
LX 782 / 783
Zurich-Brussels-Zurich
cancelled
Oct 16
LX 819
Hannover-Zurich
cancelled
Oct 16
LX 978 / 979
Zurich-Berlin-Zurich
cancelled
Oct 16
LX 1029
Dusseldorf-Zurich
cancelled
Oct 16
LX 1050 / 1051
Zurich-Hamburg-Zurich
cancelled
Oct 16
LX 1080
Genf-Frankfurt
cancelled
Oct 16
LX 1100 / 1101
Zurich-Munich-Zurich
cancelled
Oct 16
LX 1120
Geneva-Munich
cancelled
Oct 16
LX 1129
Munich-Geneva
cancelled
Oct 16
LX 1179
Stuttgart-Zurich
cancelled
Oct 16
LX 1188 / 1189
Zurich-Nuremberg-Zurich
cancelled
Oct 16
LX 1222 / 1223
Zurich-Gothenburg-Zurich
cancelled
Oct 16
LX 1430 / 1431
Geneva-Pristina-Geneva
cancelled
Oct 16
LX 1576 / 1577
Zurich-Vienna-Zurich
cancelled
Oct 16
LX 1612 / 1613
Zurich-Milano-Zurich
cancelled
Oct 16
LX 2031
Madrid-Zurich
cancelled
Oct 16
LX 2801
Geneva-Zurich
cancelled
Current timetable
Please check our latest flight information in our online timetable. All canceled flights will be marked as โcancelledโ.
If your flight is cancelled, refer to the information given under rebooking or refund and do not proceed to the airport.
If you have booked any of the affected flights through swiss.com or a Service Centre. You can rebook your flight once at no extra charge. To do so, please call our Service Centre.
In the event of a cancellation, SWISS will rebook you free of charge and usually automatically to another flight and inform you via your mobile phone number. If you do not receive a message from SWISS, please check the current status of your booking. Here you can also adjust the rebooking if required.
If you booked through an (online) travel agency, please contact the travel agency.
Refund
If you have booked any of the affected flights through swiss.com or a Service Center and you wish to cancel your flight ticket, you can do so and receive a refund. To do so, please complete the refund form.
Swiss International Air Lines has made this announcement:
From October 16, 2019 onwards, Swiss will be offering a new service to the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, departing from its hub at Zurich Airport. There will be five connections a week initially, with a daily flight from October 27, 2019.
The new route will initially be operated by Helvetic Airways. With the rollout of the winter schedule on October 27, 2019 Swiss will fly to the new destination once a day from Zurich on an alternate basis with its wet lease partner, Helvetic Airways.
Prior to discontinuation of flight operations by Adria Airways, Swiss passengers were able to travel to from Zurich to Ljubljana thanks to a codeshare agreement.
The new flights will ensure a continuing connection.
Swiss International Air lines has made this announcement:
The city of Lausanne, Switzerland will host the Winter Youth Olympic Games in January 2020. Swiss had the privilege of transporting the Olympic Flame from Athens to Geneva.
Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) carried the Olympic Flame for Lausanne 2020 on its flight from Athens to Geneva, following the Flameโs lighting ceremony at the Olympic Stadium in Athens yesterday (17 September). The Olympic Flame has thus returned to Switzerland for the first time since the Winter Olympics were held in St. Moritz in 1948.
The Olympic Flame was accompanied on Swiss flight LX 1823 from Athens to Geneva today by Virginie Faivre, the President of the Lausanne 2020 Organizing Committee, and members of the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games delegation. Also on board was Lorenzo Stoll, SWISSโs Head of Western Switzerland. โAs The Airline of Switzerland,โ he said, โwe are proud to support this exceptional event, and to serve as the first carrier of the Olympic Flame on its journey from Greece to Lausanne.โ
The Olympic Flameโs arrival on Swiss soil was formally marked with an airside ceremony which was attended by representatives from the Republic and Canton of Geneva and from the Canton of Vaud. From 21 September onwards, the Flame will be taken on a tree and a half month Torch Relay through all of Switzerlandโs 26 cantons before arriving in Lausanne for the Gamesโ opening ceremony on the evening of 9 January 2020.
Extensive organization
The Flameโs air journey from Greece to Switzerland required extensive organization, because the Flame must traditionally remain lit at all times. The flame itself was enclosed in a lantern, but various authorizations were still required, and good coordination was vital. SWISSโs Dangerous Goods unit gathered all the necessary information, such as the type of liquid used to keep the flame lit aloft and the type of gas which was being transported in the aircraftโs hold to keep it alight within the torch upon its arrival in Switzerland. The entire operation was also approved by the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation. Swiss WorldCargo was then enlisted to ensure the loading of all the items required; and the crew of the flight were also fully briefed about their unusual cargo.
Spreading the Olympic message
The Youth Olympic Games enable young people aged 15 to 18 to compete internationally at the highest level in a range of Olympic disciplines, combining performance, culture and education in a genuine sporting festival. SWISS is proud to be the official carrier of the Olympic Flame and to supportย this event, which encourages its participants to adopt and live by sportโs positive values โ self-esteem, respect for others, care for the environment, friendship among peoples and cultures, performance and commitment โ and to serve as ambassadors thereof all over the world.
Swiss International Air Lines reported its financial results for the first half of 2019:
Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) achieved adjusted earnings before interest and taxes of CHFย 245ย million for the first six months of 2019, a 24-per-cent decline on the prior-year period (first half of 2018: CHFย 322ย million1)). Total revenues for the period were broadly in line with last yearโs level at CHFย 2.58ย billion. First-half earnings were substantially reduced by higher expenditure on fuel. Maintenance costs also increased over their 2018 levels as the recent additions to the aircraft fleet became due for the first of their periodic C Check maintenance visits. Overcapacities in Europe put sizeable pressure on fares, with a resulting fall in unit revenues; and the first-half earnings result was also affected by a lasting decline in demand in the cargo segment, especially on Far East routes.
โWhile our first-half earnings for 2019 fell short of the record levels we achieved last year, we can still be satisfied with this Adjusted EBIT result, especially in view of the challenging market situation,โ says SWISS CFO Michael Niggemann. โWe had already factored in the higher fuel and maintenance costs, so this first-half earnings trend is in line with our expectations.โ
A strong second quarter
SWISS saw a slight easing of the revenue and earnings pressures in the second-quarter period. Operating revenue for the period was raised one per cent to CHF 1.42 billion (Q2ย 2018: CHFย 1.40ย billion). Adjusted EBIT for the period declined 10 per cent, however, to CHF 197 million (Q2ย 2018: CHFย 218 million1)). While below the level seen in the record year of 2018, this is still the second-best second-quarter earnings result in SWISSโs history, and was buoyed among other things by enhanced production management, especially on European routes.
Full-year forecast unchanged
While the overall business parameters are expected to remain challenging, SWISS still aims to achieve a double-digit Adjusted EBIT margin for 2019 as a whole.
The company will further pursue its fleet modernization in the second half of the year, receiving the two additional Boeing 777-300ERs which were ordered in May 2018.
โThanks to our billions in investments, we now have one of Europeโs most advanced aircraft fleets,โ says SWISS CEO Thomas Klรผhr. โThatโs not only good news for our guests: itโs good for the environment, too. Operating efficient aircraft is by far the greatest contribution that an airline can make to reducing the environmental impact of air transport activities.โ
1) SWISS adopted new accounting principles at the end of 2018 in compliance with those of the Lufthansa Group. An Adjusted EBIT of CHFย 224 million for the second quarter and of CHFย 330 million for the first half of 2018 were previously reported in July 2018.
Top Copyright Photo: Swiss International Air Lines Boeing 777-3DE ER HB-JND (msn 44585) ZRH (Rolf Wallner). Image: 934573.
Swiss International Air Lines has made this announcement:
Swiss International Air Lines will be expanding its range of services from Geneva in the Winter 2019/2020 timetable period by adding a new route to Marsa Alam in Egypt.
The new weekly service will be provided on Wednesdays October 16 and 23 and then every Thursday from October 31 to March 26, 2020. The flights will be operated with Airbus A220-300 aircraft.
Located on the Red Sea coast, Marsa Alam is a beach vacation destination that is particularly popular among divers. The new route further expands Swiss’ services to Egypt, which already include regular Geneva-Hurghada flights. Swiss will be the only airline serving Marsa Alam from Geneva.
Geneva-Munich and Geneva-Frankfurt services to be retained in winter schedules
Swiss will continue to operate its daily services from Geneva to Munich and Frankfurt in the coming winter timetable period. Munich will receive five Swiss flights from Geneva a day, while Frankfurt will receive a total of eight daily services, four operated by Swiss and four by Lufthansa.
Top Copyright Photo: Swiss International Air Lines Airbus A220-300 (Bombardier CS300 – BD-500-1A11) HB-JCQ (msn 55040) ZRH (Rolf Wallner). Image: 947070.
Swiss International Air Lines is to introduce a new Premium Economy Class on its long-haul aircraft fleet from spring 2021, to further strengthen its position as a premium air carrier. In a first step here, the additional travel class will be available in a 24-seat section on its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
In the medium term, the new travel product will be extended to the entire Swiss long-haul fleet. For Economy Class travelers seeking more inflight comfort, the new product will offer a totally new air travel experience. Swiss will be investing some CHF 40 million in installing the new seating class on its Boeing 777 fleet.
The new product will initially be available on the companyโs Boeing 777-300ERs, with each aircraft offering 24 Premium Economy seats. In the medium term, the new product should be extended to the entire Swiss long-haul fleet.
Substantially more personal space
For Economy Class travellers seeking more inflight comfort, Premium Economy will offer a totally new air travel experience. The new class of travel will feature a newly developed seat providing extensive legroom and movement. โAll in all, our Premium Economy Class travellers will enjoy a substantially stronger sense of personal space,โ confirms Tamur Goudarzi Pour, Swissโ Chief Commercial Officer.In introducing the new class of travel, SWISS is responding to a growing demand for an air travel product between Economy and Business Class. The decision to offer the new seating class has also been encouraged by the positive experiences with such a product at Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines, Swiss’ sister companies within the Lufthansa Group.
Introduction in spring 2021
Swiss will embark on the cabin conversion work required in winter 2020/21, and the new Premium Economy Class product will be available from spring 2021. Swiss will be investing a total of some CHFย 40 million in installing the new seating class on its Boeing 777 fleet.
Top Copyright Photo: Swiss International Air Lines Boeing 777-300 ER HB-JNH (msn 62753) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 945980.
Lufthansa Group is consistently forging ahead with the modernization of its long-haul fleet. In todayโs meeting, based on the recommendation of the Executive Board, the Supervisory Board approved the purchase of a total of 40 state-of-the-art aircraft for the groupโs airlines. The 20 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners (above) and 20 additional Airbus A350-900 planes will primarily be replacing four-engine aircraft. The new planes will be delivered between late 2022 and 2027.
The order has a list-price investment volume of $12 billion USD. As is usual with such orders, Lufthansa Group has negotiated a significant price reduction. The parties have agreed not to disclose the actual purchase price.
โBy replacing four-engine planes with new models, we are laying a sustainable foundation for our future in the long run. In addition to the cost-effectiveness of the A350 and B787, the significantly lower CO2 emissions of this new generation of long-haul aircraft was also a decisive factor in our investment decision. Our responsibility for the environment is becoming more and more important as a criterion for our decisions,โ says Carsten Spohr, CEO and Chairman of Lufthansa Group.
The decision regarding which airline will deploy the aircraft at which hub will be made at a later date.
The investment in new technology, efficiency and passenger comfort is a continuation of the ongoing fleet modernization of the groupโs airlines. The arilines of the Lufthansa Group currently operate a long-haul fleet of 199 aircraft (as of December 2018), including twelve state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900 aircraft. Beginning in 2020, Lufthansa will be introducing the new Boeing 777-9.
Investment in modern, fuel-efficient and low-noise aircraft
With the Airbus A350-900, the Boeing 777-9 and the Boeing 787-9, Lufthansa Group will own the most fuel-efficient long-haul aircraft of their class in terms of kerosene consumption per passenger and 100 kilometers flown. This order highlights the companyโs desire to invest in cutting-edge technology in the interest of the environment. On average, the new aircraft will only consume around 2.9 liters of kerosene per passenger and 100 kilometers flown. That is 25% below what is used by predecessor aircraft, which will likewise have a positive impact on the CO2 footprint.
The Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A350-900 aircraft that have been ordered will primarily be replacing four-engine aircraft. By the middle of the next decade, the entire long-haul fleet will have been modernized. The possible fuel savings alone add up to 500,000 metric tons per year. This is equivalent to a CO2 reduction of 1.5 million metric tons.
A consistent focus on cost
With the new, more economical aircraft, the operating cost compared to the earlier models will sink by around 20 percent. In addition to this, Lufthansa Group will be significantly reducing the diversification and complexity of its fleet over the next few years and taking seven aircraft types out of service, which will reduce cost and complexity for maintenance and the supply of replacement parts, among other things.
After the long-haul aircraft rollover, the company will be offering its customers one of the worldโs most modern fleets. This will also involve a significant increase in comfort and reliability.
Sale of six Airbus A380 aircraft
In todayโs session, the Lufthansa Group Executive Board also informed the Supervisory Board of the sale of six of its 14 Airbus A380 planes to Airbus. The aircraft will be leaving Lufthansa in 2022 and 2023. The parties have agreed not disclose the purchasing price. The transaction will not affect the groupโs earnings performance.
Lufthansa continuously monitors the profitability of its world-wide route network. As a consequence, the group is reducing the size of its Airbus A380 fleet from 14 aircraft to eight for economic reasons. The structure of the network and the long-haul fleet, fundamentally optimized according to strategic aspects, will give the company more flexibility and at the same time increase its efficiency and competitiveness. This will of course also benefit Lufthansaโs customers.
Swiss International Air Lines announced on social media:
Welcome back HB-JMH. The first Swiss Airbus A340-300 with a totally refurbished interior in all three seating cabins took off from Zurich on March 7 on its first revenue flight to Tokyo.
The airline also issued this press releases:
The first Swiss Airbus A340-300 with a totally refurbished interior in all three seating cabins took off from Zurich on March 7 on its first revenue flight. Aircraft HB-JMH departedย at 13:26ย on flight LX 160 to Tokyo.
HB-JMH is the first of Swiss’ five Airbus A340-300s to be given this nose-to-tail cabin refurbishment. The aircraft are undergoing the work one after the other; and under current planning, all five A340s should be refurbished by summer of this year.
The refurbishment program entails developing and installing new First, Business and Economy Class seats, providing a new inflight entertainment system that also offers internet connectivity, installing new galleys and comprehensively modernizing the entire interior (including adopting a new lighting concept) in all three seating cabins. The refurbishment delivers further passenger benefits, too, and raises the inflight comfort aboard Swissโ Airbus A340s to that of its Boeing 777s.
Next to Tokyo Swissโ Airbus A340-300s are deployed on services to such destinations as Boston, Johannesburg, Shanghai and Tel Aviv. Swiss has five A340-300s in its long-haul fleet, together with 14 Airbus A330s and ten Boeing 777-300ERs. The Swiss long-haul network currently extends to 24ย destinations.
Top Copyright Photo (all others by Swiss): Swiss International Air Lines Airbus A340-313 HB-JMH (msn 585) MIA (Bruce Drum). Image: 104582.
From March 31, 2019, Swiss will connect Geneva with the German cities of Munich and Frankfurt on a daily basis for a seven-month period. The flights to and from Frankfurt will be partly operated by Lufthansa.
From March 31 to October 26, 2019, Swiss International Air Lines will commence regular service to Munich and Frankfurt, offering its passengers an even wider range of destinations from Geneva.
The airline will operate five flights a day between Geneva and Munich. Flight guests traveling from Geneva to Frankfurt can choose from eight daily flights, of which four will be operated by Swiss and four byย Lufthansa.
Expansion of the Geneva fleet
With the addition of six summer destinations announced for 2019 and the introduction of regular service to the two German cities, Swiss will soon connect Geneva to 45ย destinations. To meet this expansion of the route network, three new aircraft will complete Swissโs short-haul fleet in Geneva, which will consist of seven Airbus A220-300 (CS300) and three Airbus A220-100 (CS100) by June 2019.
Top Copyright Photo (all others by the airline):ย Swiss International Air Lines Airbus A220-300 (Bombardier CS300 – BD-500-1A11) HB-JCB (msn 55011) LHR (SPA). Image: 945625.
Swiss International Air Lines has made this announcement:
Swiss is further underscoring its strong commitment to Western Switzerland โ the French-speaking โRomandieโ โ by serving as principal partner to this yearโs Fรชte des Vignerons in the region. As part of this collaboration, The Airline of Switzerland has also given one of its Geneva-based A220-300 (CS300) aircraft (HB-JCA) (below) a special โFรชte des Vigneronsโ livery.
Swiss International Air Lines unveiled one of its advanced A220-300 aircraft at Geneva Airport tthat has been given a special livery to honor and highlight this summerโs Fรชte des Vignerons festival in Vevey in Western Switzerland, for which it is principal partner. The livery has been designed by Western Swiss artist Mathias Forbach (alias Fichtre) (below) to mark this long living tradition. Festival director Daniele Finzi Pasca paid tribute to Fichtreโs artistic creation by serving as the โgodparentโ to the newly-reliveried aircraft. The unveiling was also attended by Vaud State Councillor Philippe Leuba and Geneva State Councillor Serge Dal Busco.
Swiss, a proud partner of Fรชte des Vignerons 2019
As The Airline of Switzerland, Swiss is proud to support this exceptional festival event and to put the colors and images of the Fรชte and its region onto one of its aircraft, which will carry them all over Europe. โItโs very important to us to show our guests the character of our home country: its culture and its traditions, from which we draw our inspirations every day,โ says Lorenzo Stoll, Swissโ Head of Western Switzerland. โThe natural riches and the savoir-faire of our regions are very much part of that. And this is why we have chosen to pay our own tribute to the Fรชte des Vignerons, which is such an embodiment of the Romandie.โ
A once-in-a-generation experience, the Fรชte des Vignerons is a celebration of the winegrowing tradition of Western Switzerland. The globally unique event, which is organized by the Confrรฉrie des Vignerons, has been on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List since 2016. Almost a million visitors from Switzerland and beyond are expected to attend this summerโs month-long Fรชte, which will be held in the town of Vevey.
โThis winged messenger of the Fรชte des Vignerons 2019, decked in the colors concocted by Vevey artist Fichtre, is about to undergo its baptism aloft,โ enthuses Franรงois Margot, Abbรฉ-Prรฉsident of the Confrรฉrie des Vignerons. โTradition, innovation, hospitality and an openness to the world: these shared values of our airline and our UNESCO-recognized festival will now shine out far and wide. And we could not wish for a fresher, more original ambassador of the air!โ
A flying tribute created by a Romand artist
Swiss already dedicated its first A220-300 aircraft โ โLโAvion des Suisses Romandsโ โ to Western Switzerland and its inhabitants back in 2017 (above). The company is now underlining that commitment to the Romandie by commissioning another special livery to mark the Fรชte des Vignerons, a celebration that will move and delight the people of Western Switzerland and beyond later this year.
Video:
To ensure a certain consistency between โLโAvion des Suisses Romandsโ and the newly-decorated aircraft, Swiss has again turned to Western Swiss artist Mathias Forbach, alias Fichtre, to design the new livery. The choice is even more appropriate in that the artist is from Vevey, where the Fรชte will be held.
Fichtreโs guiding goal for his new livery creation was to awaken the memories of the last generation which experienced the Fรชte des Vignerons and to arouse the interest of a new generation with a modern and contemporary design. With its spontaneous, colourful and festive style, the new livery captures the spirit of the Fรชte and draws its inspiration from many of the features that make it so unique.
The colors and images used reflect the cycle of the seasons that give their natural rhythm to the winegrowing world. Nature features strongly in Fichtreโs livery composition, which has incorporated elements of the local Vevey landscape such as Lake Geneva, the vines, the autumn leaves and (of course) the grapes.
The start of a European journey
The specially-liveried Swiss A220-300 will be deployed throughout Europe over the next nine months. The aircraft will serve 42 destinations from Geneva including Palma de Mallorca (in summer), St. Petersburg (in winter) and Dublin (all year round). And it will carry over 150,000 passengers in its festive colors.
Mathias Forbach
Mathias Forbach (Fichtre) was born in Vevey in 1983. He attended the Lausanne University of Art and Design (ECAL), graduating in 2005 with a Bachelorโs Degree in Media & Interaction Design. Since 2009 he has been teaching at the School of Design and University of the Arts in Sierre in Canton Valais. And in 2012 he decided to continue his own artistic education by following the Work.Master program at the Haute รcole dโArt et de Design (HEAD) in Geneva.
In 2014 he co-founded the STADIO art space in Vevey together with Joรซlle Nicolas, Guillaume Ehinger and Jacques Duboux. He was awarded a Master of Visual Arts degree in 2015.
An independent spirit among graphic artists, Fichtre uses drawing and illustration as a means of experimentation and research. The surface is central to his approach โ a creative baseline that is constantly being challenged and renewed. The surface, to Fichtre, is a polymorphous vehicle, a venture of infinite potential, a renewal of every graphic language. As such, it becomes a โhypersurfaceโ: a continent of indistinct borders, and a reminder that visual art, too, has no limits or constraints.
In other news, Swissย welcomed its 28th A220 to its fleet: A220-300 HB-JCT (above) arrived in snowy Zurich. With this arrival, there are only two more A220s to be phased-in in the course of 2019.
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