Swiss International Air Lines

Basel ( legal seat according to the commercial register ), Switzerland Switzerland

Zurich

Swiss International Air Lines, the exterior appearance SWISS, is a Swiss airline with its headquarters on the airport Basel -Mulhouse (France) and hub at Zurich airport. It is a 100 percent subsidiary of Lufthansa and member of the airline alliance Star Alliance.

• 3.1 Active Fleet
• 3.2 Changes in fleet
• 3.3 Historic Fleet
• 3.4 Wet - lease agreements

History

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Foundation

As a result of the bankruptcy of Swissair, the former Swiss national airline, in October 2001, Crossair was renamed statutes amendment of 13 May 2002 Swiss International Air Lines.

In the period between the Swissair grounding on 2 October 2001 and the start of the Swiss on 1 March 2002, Swissair was supported by the Swiss government with the necessary liquidity to sustain flight operations and also enabling the creation of the Swiss. Development and launch of the brand "Swiss" was thereby accomplished by the company of Tyler Brûlé.

Corporate law starting basis for the Swiss formed the Basel regional airline Crossair, the structures of which were used with the financial support of the Swiss Confederation, cantons and some of the big banks UBS and Credit Suisse to build a new, internationally active Swiss line airline. Crossair changed its name to Swiss and took each 26 long and short- haul aircraft from the former Swissair and to a large extent their flight connections. The project was called " Phoenix ».

Swiss led not only to scheduled flights as well as charter flights to European and North African holiday destinations. Up to and including 2004 summer schedule charter flights were conducted under the brand name Swiss Sun. Your Airbus fleet leaves Swiss by SR Technics Switzerland wait.

Takeover by Lufthansa

After earlier bids Lufthansa by the Swiss owner failed, Swiss agreed in autumn 2003 with Oneworld, led by British Airways for an early membership. In early June 2004, the accession negotiations were broken off.

For 2003, the Swiss had a loss of 687 million Swiss francs (previous year: 980 million) on revenues of 4.126 billion (previous year: 4.395 billion ). For 2004, the Swiss had originally forecast break-even result, but announced in June 2004, an annual loss of which was attributed to high fuel costs.

The upper echelons of Swiss and Lufthansa led secret negotiations for months about a takeover. On 22 March 2005, the Lufthansa Group reached an agreement with the Swiss- large shareholders, including, in particular, Credit Suisse, UBS, the Swiss Confederation and the Canton of Zurich belong. As a result, a gradual takeover of Swiss by Lufthansa Group, the survival of the Swiss brand and the maintenance of the Zurich hub with the Lufthansa hubs in Frankfurt am Main and Munich was agreed for a price of 310 million euro.

In February 2005 rapportierte appointed in April 2004, new Swiss- CEO, the German Christoph Franz, a net loss of 140 million, consolidated operating income in fiscal 2005 rose to 3.732 billion Swiss francs (previous year: 3.642 billion ). The operating result ( EBIT) before restructuring costs improved to -14 million (previous year: -122 million). Due to currency exchange value adjustments of EUR 65 million (cash - neutral) on liabilities in U.S. dollars and restructuring charges of EUR 41 million resulted from the previous year significantly increased net loss of 178 million ( previous year: net loss of 140 million).

On 2 June 2005, the airline alliance Star Alliance, founded by Lufthansa, United Airlines and other airlines decided to open the Swiss in 2006. Accession took place on 1 April 2006. During the financial year 2006, Swiss, with a plus of 263 million Swiss francs a turnover of 4.153 billion francs for the first time an annual profit.

Since autumn 2005, all flights between Germany and Switzerland by Lufthansa and Swiss are operated in code-sharing. Since that time, the flights in the same terminal of the airports in Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich are handled. The winter timetable 2005 were also cooperation agreements with Austrian, TAP Portugal, United Airlines and Air Canada in preparation for the accession of the Swiss Star Alliance in force.

In October 2005, the Swiss guide said that it will outsource the regional fleet to the new company Swiss European Air Lines, which received its operating license for the winter flight plan 2005 as a subsidiary of the Swiss.

In 2006, a Swiss Kaizen method to do business faster and cheaper, as well as to cope with the growth, " without cost explosion ". Christoph Franz, former Swiss CEO, let himself be inspired by for the Kaizen experiences of former CFO, Ulrik Svensson.

Development since 2007

On 21 June 2007, the German Lufthansa AG announced the complete takeover of the Swiss on July 1, 2007. At this time, Lufthansa had 100 percent of the shares of the Swiss company. Previously belonged to the Swiss legal reasons to renegotiation of landing rights with many non-European countries only 49 per cent of Lufthansa. The remaining 51 percent remained with the established specifically for this purpose Swiss Foundation Almea. Almea and Lufthansa were in this ratio ( 51:49 ) owner of the company AirTrust AG, which in turn was the sole owner of the Swiss. Thus, the Swiss was considered a Swiss company and was able to keep the existing traffic rights in the countries outside the European Union that are regulated world has always been between the state and not sold to other countries.

On 8 February 2008, the takeover of the company Edelweiss Air AG was announced by the Swiss, which changed hands in the course of a strategic partnership between the previous owner and Swiss Kuoni. The charter company will continue to operate with its own management, fleet and crews. The « Edelweiss » brand is maintained.

On 18 July 2008, Swiss announced the acquisition of operating in the business aviation Servair Private Charter AG. It will continue to operate under the name Swiss Private Aviation and with the existing management and employees. With the takeover of Swiss created a platform for the operation of the Lufthansa Private Jet fleet ( LPJ ), which has been founded in 2007 in cooperation with NetJets by Lufthansa and was temporarily operated up to this point by Swiss European Air Lines. However, the project was not successful and so 2011 bankruptcy Lufthansa Private Jet has been filed and we put back in the Lufthansa Passenger Airlines.

2008 Swiss achieved a turnover of 5.267 billion Swiss francs ( 2007: CHF 4.895 billion ) and an operating profit of 507 million Swiss francs (2007: 542 million Swiss francs). The headcount at the end of 2008 7'337 6'026 employees or FTEs (end of 2007: 7'277 6'022 employees or full time equivalents).

2009 Swiss was 160 airlines rated as " Best Airline Europe" award at the short and long haul. At conducted by the British consulting firm Skytrax survey was attended by more than 15.4 million passengers from 95 different nations.

Swiss promoted in 2010 - at an average seat load factor for the entire route network of 82.3 percent - 14.1 million passengers (2009: 13.8 million; 2008: 13.5 million; 2007: 12.2 million ), making it the largest airline of Switzerland.

In August 2011, Swiss published its new logo, which the Swissair very similar. The lettering SWISS is supplemented by a tail fin with the Swiss cross. This logo replaces the previous logo as of October, the Swiss cube. A new motto was announced. Our sign is a promise, for emphasis Swiss Swiss values ​​. The new logo produced a wave of protests online on various social networks.

Destinations

Zurich Airport is the hub of the Swiss; where most flights are handled. The network of Swiss comprises (as of Winter 2013/ 2014) 76 goals (52 European and 24 intercontinental ) in 40 countries. In the United States alone, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco are served daily ( since summer 2010), New York is serviced three times a day from Zurich and Geneva daily. From Geneva be driven directly in the code-share with Air Canada and Montreal and Washington ( United).

Fleet

Active fleet

As of August 2013, the fleet of 82 aircraft consists of SWISS with an average age of 10.8 years:

With the exception of the A330 with engines of Pratt & Whitney (code number 2), respectively, Rolls -Royce ( code number 4), the entire Airbus fleet with the CFM56 engine family of CFM International ( code number 1) is equipped. The code digits are Airbus models at the second digit of the complete three-digit variant name.

Changes in the fleet

Mid-November and early December 2006 a total of two additional Airbus A330 -223 were transferred ( in two-class configuration) of the Lufthansa fleet in the Swiss fleet, replacing a short-term leased Airbus A300. For the medium-haul traffic since mid-December 2006 was an additional A320s in service, the two older A321 of Turkish Airlines and two more A320 followed in spring 2007 in order to expand feeder traffic. The summer schedule 2008, three A340 -300 of Air Canada and Austrian Airlines were integrated. Three more A340- 313X were taken over by Air Canada in 2008 and the two A330 -223 have replaced with two-class configuration.

The parent company Lufthansa ordered on 19 September 2007, nine new Airbus A330- 343x as a replacement for the smaller machines of the type A330- 223rd The delivery of these machines began in 2009. In addition, four A320s were procured, which was already taken two as part of the 2008 summer timetable in operation (leasing ) and the rest will follow in the years 2011 and 2012.

On December 14, 2008, Lufthansa announced two Airbus A330 -300X from its own order on Swiss to pass. This reduces the number of the ordered A330 -300X Swiss increases from nine to eleven.

With the acquisition of Edelweiss Air by the Swiss, three A320 aircraft were transferred to the ownership of the Swiss and leased long-term to Edelweiss.

On September 22, 2010, Lufthansa announced that it has ordered five Airbus A330-300s, two A321 and two A320 for Swiss. The first aircraft of the type A330- 343x was the Swiss passed on 11 January 2012 to 2014 followed by the remaining machines.

On March 14, 2013, Swiss announced the appointment of six Boeing 777- 300ER. The machines ordered to replace the older six aircraft of the type Airbus A340. The Triple Seven will come on well-utilized routes to North and South America and Asia and seasonal well-utilized routes used. As a replacement for the remaining nine A340 is decided by 2015 the type.

Naval History

First now decommissioned aircraft type the Swiss is the A330 -223, from over the entire period of use, a total of 18 different copies in the existence of the Swiss. With the transfer of the former Swissair fleet Swiss March 31, 2002 reached a total of 16 specimens of this type for this airline, with only 13 " Phoenix " were used for the active flight operations in accordance with the start-up project; the extra three copies were sold to Lufthansa in the fall of 2002. Due to the poor financial situation of the fleet was reduced in late 2003, with four additional A330 were sold. The A330- book remained on nine specimens, or two -hand machines were taken over by Lufthansa in the fourth quarter of 2006. The replacement of the A330 -223 by the slightly larger and more modern A330- 343 ( X), it was decided in 2007; with the gradual delivery of the new airplane type from April 2009, started in mid 2009 with the retirement of the A330 -223. The last four ones were taken in mid-2011, two machines were sold to Air Berlin. Two machines were retained by Swiss and came initially as a dry lease the sister company Brussels Airlines to use before they were sold to this in October 2011, respectively, in March 2012.

Wet-lease agreements

Besides its own fleet of aircraft of other airlines are on wet lease for Swiss in use, aircraft and aircrew are placed here by the airline partner. So Augsburg Airways operated from 1 April to 26 October 2013 for the Swiss between Zurich and Nuremberg. The subsidiary Edelweiss Air also takes over since April 1, 2013 probably two years, a daily flight from Zurich to New York - John F. Kennedy. Swiss European Air Lines and Helvetic Airways lead on behalf of Swiss by intra-European flights, Helvetic Airways until at least the spring of 2017 and winter schedules 2013/14 with a total of four Fokker 100 As of August 2013 thus amplifies the SWISS own fleet of 5 planes of other airlines and 20 aircraft of its own subsidiary, Swiss European Air Lines:

Frequent Flyer Program

The former Swiss frequent flyer program "Swiss Travel Club " (formerly Quality Flyer by Swissair ) was transferred on 1 April 2006 Lufthansa Miles & More program, which also has Austrian connected.

Contractual amendments were made for members of the highest class ( "Swiss Circle" ). Originally 200,000 miles were necessary to accommodate, of which 150,000 in the first year of membership ( recording was made only on the recommendation of Swiss management). In the Lufthansa frequent flyer program are for the similar class, however, required 600,000 miles in two years.

Swiss World Cargo

Swiss World Cargo, the cargo division of Swiss. It was formed on 1 April 2002 and has its head office in the main building of the Swiss at Zurich Airport.

As a provider of airport - to-airport air cargo services it is specializing in the transportation of high value goods and intensive care of freight. The network of Swiss World Cargo includes more than 150 destinations in over 80 countries, a majority of them in Europe. The network is supplemented by truck connections.

2010 Cargo 's share of the revenue of the Swiss was around 11.5 per cent, which corresponds to a group turnover of 5.267 billion Swiss francs 600 million francs. The volume Excessive cargo load factor (intercontinental ) was 78 percent.

Swiss has no pure freighters. However, it has chartered flights on larger freight volumes in the past, Boeing 747 cargo aircraft, Evergreen International Airlines to New York.

Subsidiaries

• Swiss European Air Lines
• Swiss Aviation Training Ltd.
• Swiss Aviation Software AG
• Swiss Private Aviation AG
• Bentour Swiss
• Edelweiss Air
• Crossair Europe (until 2005)

Incident

• On 10 July 2002, the pilot of a Saab 2000 had to resort to the airport Berlin- Tegel because of bad weather conditions on the flight LX 850 from Basel to Hamburg. Due to lack of fuel, the crew requested priority, but decided to land in Werneuchen. When attaching the plane struck an embankment on, which broke all three legs, and came to the fuselage with a burning engine to a halt.