SWISS thrives amid Easter travel surge despite operational challenges

Wednesday, April 3, 2024

The Easter holidays see a surge in travel, and this year was no exception as many sought to get away. Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) reported overall satisfaction with its flight operations during this period. Between Good Friday (29 March) and Easter Monday (1 April), the airline operated close to 1,600 flights worldwide – a 1.2% increase compared to Easter 2023. These flights safely transported approximately 200,000 SWISS customers to their destinations, marking a 4.5% increase from the previous year. Additionally, SWISS successfully operated 99% of its scheduled flights over the Easter 2024 period.

“We had taken a range of planning actions – such as building in extra ‘cushions’, rostering more
standby crews and providing reserve aircraft – to keep our flight operations stable over this year’s
Easter period,” explains SWISS Head of Operations Oliver Buchhofer. “We needed to do so: high
schedule stability was our top priority, and it’s a goal we were able to achieve.”

Over the Easter holiday period, SWISS’s Zurich Airport hub encountered robust westerly winds, impacting its operational capacity and resulting in delays. Easter Monday saw a notable disruption due to these conditions. Compounding the issue was the limited availability of aircraft reserves, further hampered by technical difficulties. Consequently, 73 percent of SWISS flights during Easter departed on time, marking a 7.7 percentage point decrease from Easter 2023.

Among SWISS’s European network, London, Berlin, and Palma de Mallorca emerged as favored Easter destinations, while New York, Miami, and San Francisco topped the list for intercontinental travelers.

As Switzerland’s premier air carrier, SWISS maintains a modern aircraft fleet, facilitating direct connections between Zurich, Geneva, and global destinations. Its Swiss WorldCargo division offers comprehensive airfreight services for high-value and time-sensitive shipments. Committed to sustainability, SWISS aims to halve its 2019 net CO2 emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality in its business operations by 2050, primarily through the adoption of sustainable aviation fuels. Affiliated with the Lufthansa Group and a member of the Star Alliance, SWISS upholds Switzerland’s traditional values while prioritizing top-tier product and service quality.

« Back to Page

• Cologne/Bonn Airport prepares for Easter Travel Surge: 33,000 daily passengers expected

• Four Seasons Hong Kong spring Arts & Easter Holidays Highlights

• Spring break at Four Seasons: Luxury, culture, and family fun

• Easter traffic jams warning for drivers, expect rail disruption and long queues on roads

• Easter holiday travel: No repeat of airport chaos, industry says