SWISS International Airlines transported over 500,000 passengers during the Christmas and New Year festivities. The company successfully operated 98.5% of the scheduled flights, although some experienced delays due to weather conditions or other issues.
Between Friday, December 22, 2023, and Tuesday, January 2, 2024, SWISS transported a total of 546,961 passengers. The Swiss airline exceeded the number of passengers transported in 2022, which was 467,955, maintaining schedule stability at 99.4%.
Oliver Buchhofer, Chief Operating Officer of SWISS, expressed: «I am delighted that we achieved our goal and were able to maintain our flight schedule throughout the bustling holiday period.»
«This has allowed us to reliably transport so many passengers to their families and friends so they can enjoy the holidays together. Just like during the busy summer vacation period, this is always a significant challenge, one that we were able to overcome thanks to the exceptional and outstanding commitment of our employees,» added Buchhofer.
During the holiday travel season, SWISS had to cancel only 58 flights, while others experienced delays. The main causes of cancellations and delays included weather conditions such as snow or strong winds, and illnesses.
Buchhofer remarked regarding the delays and cancellations faced by SWISS: «The weather has been especially challenging. Strong winds, frost, and snow have seriously affected flight operations in some cases, leading to delays. Like the whole of Switzerland, we have also felt the effects of the cold and flu epidemic. We have recorded numerous cases of illness. Therefore, I want to express even more gratitude to our employees and partners for their commitment to our passengers in the air and on the ground during these intense last two weeks.»
Approximately 17% of the flights arrived at their destination with more than a 30-minute delay. About 58%, more than half of the flights in the last two weeks, departed on time, meaning not more than 15 minutes later than scheduled. Most delays occur before departure at airports and, in some cases, can be recovered during the flight.
The operational goal during the holiday period was, above all, to operate as many flights as possible. «Especially during the Christmas and New Year period, it is crucial to transport passengers so they don’t miss out on celebrating with their loved ones. We deliberately prioritized this reliability,» emphasized Oliver Buchhofer.
