The airline Swiss is still losing “less than 1,5 million francs” per day. It is hoped that 50 to 55 percent of the pre-crisis capacity can be offered in midsummer and it is assumed that demand will also be reduced by 2023 percent in 20. This is what company boss Dieter Vranckx said in an interview with Blick.

Around three months ago, Swiss was planning to offer around 65 percent capacity in midsummer. According to Vranckx, this planning was adapted to the current situation. He also said that three months is "a long time" in the current situation. Nevertheless: The hope lies in the increasing demand and with the help of this “we can stop this outflow of money, but the situation remains difficult in the medium term”.

Dieter Vranckx has already ticked off the year 2022 and describes it as a "year of transition". "We are assuming a further increase in the number of bookings in 2022, but we are aligning our goals with the year 2023," the manager told Blick. The winter of 2021/2022 could be difficult for Swiss, because it is not currently foreseeable how the demand will develop. The company boss does not expect growth before February 2022.

Mask requirement should "remain for years"

When asked about the mask requirement on board Swiss aircraft, Vranckx told Blick that it would “remain for years”. This applies to both the passengers and the staff. So far, 1.700 jobs have been cut, around a third of which have been terminated. The Swiss boss regrets this, but adds that there was no other option.

Regarding the current load factor and the number of aircraft used, Swiss boss Dieter Vranckx told Blick: “In Europe, the aircraft are between two thirds and three quarters of load. In the long-haul segment, the load factor is below two thirds. Of our 92 aircraft, 75 are back in flight. Of these, 54 are short and medium-haul aircraft and 21 are long-haul jets. The rest of the fleet is parked in Geneva or Amman, in Dübendorf we only parked aircraft in the initial phase ”.

Minimum prices only if they apply across Europe

Swiss does not believe in selling off airline tickets in the single-digit franc range. Vranckx emphasized in an interview with the newspaper: "We only offer airfares that cover our variable costs, we do not go below that".

At the same time, he is critical of minimum prices, because these could only work if they were to apply across Europe. “Basically, the market should regulate the price. If such a minimum price is introduced, it should at least apply across Europe, preferably worldwide. We are in an international market, which is why such rules have to be coordinated internationally. Going it alone nationally only leads to a competitive disadvantage for domestic airlines, ”Vranckx told Blick.