After previously warning that the age of low-cost flying would soon be coming to an end, the CEO of SWISS has now painted a rosier future for those looking to fly out of airports in Switzerland. In an interview with NZZ am Sonntag, Dieter Vranckx announced that the flag-carrying airline will be offering cheaper and more punctual flights next year.
Speaking to the newspaper, the SWISS CEO said that in the rush to cater to the high demand during this summer, quality at the airline suffered. After admitting that more than a third of flights arrived in or left Zurich and Geneva late at the start of the year, things got worse during the peak of summer, with nearly half of all SWISS services delayed.
In addition, continued problems arose related to staff shortages and luggage. In fact, a SWISS flight to Bilbao recently managed to take off without the passengers’ luggage on board, with Swissport, the baggage handler, telling Watson that around 15 planes have taken off from Zurich without luggage so far this year.
In response to the criticism, Vranckx said the company wants to become “more punctual and greener” and, in what will be a relief for those still caught in the cost-of-living crisis, he predicted that "flying should be cheaper next year."
Vranckx explained that the lower prices will be a response to the highly competitive market set to emerge over the next few years, with airlines across the world, including SWISS, promising to launch new routes and expand on old ones. He added that passenger demand is also expected to fall in the next 18 months, which will make cheaper prices necessary in order to attract holidaymakers.
Finally, alongside committing to reducing the number of delays to services, SWISS also made a commitment to being more sustainable through semi-renewable energy sources like solar fuel and other green technologies. They will also be maintaining their commitment to reducing their CO2 emissions by 50 percent (compared to 2019) by 2030 and achieving CO2 neutrality by 2050.
When asked whether these policies amounted to “greenwashing”, Vranckx said that the tech is the only way airlines will survive into the future. “Going green is not a luxury, but a must,” he concluded.
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