Task force

In a separate development, the head of Swiss, Andr� Dos�, has put together a task force to investigate the technical problems, which have caused the airline to cancel 240 flights over the past month.

The experts from Saab, Embraer and Avro – three companies which have supplied Swiss and the former Crossair with planes or parts in the past – are expected to announce their findings within a week.

Swiss runs a total of 700 flights per day to destinations all over the world. The recent cancellations represent 0.15 per cent of all its flights.

In a further headache, Swiss aviation expert Sepp Moser has accused the airline of endangering passengers’ safety by regularly carrying minimal fuel reserves.

In a newspaper article, Moser said the airline’s cost saving measure was the real reason for the forced landing of a plane at a German military airfield earlier this month, which resulted in severe damage to the aircraft.

Moser said the official explanation of adverse weather conditions disguised the fact that the plane did not have enough fuel to land elsewhere.

http://www2.swissinfo.org/sen/Swissinfo.html?siteSect=161&sid=1250499

FROM THE ARCHIVES: July 30, 2002





THE SKEPTIC: Swiss Should Stick To The Basic Flight Plan

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

(This story was originally published Monday)

By Carey Sargent
A DOW JONES NEWSWIRES COLUMN
ZURICH -- Sometimes it's better to just let the Joneses race ahead.

Japan Airlines Co Ltd (J.JAP) has joined the likes of Lufthansa and British Airways (U.BIA) in striving to provide high-speed internet access on intercontinental flights.

But contrary to the suggestions of local pundits, this doesn't mean Swiss International Airlines (Z.SWI) should get moving too. After all, the Swiss airline has bigger issues on its plate.

Swiss, formed from Crossair AG (Z.CRO) and the remains of the country's failed flag carrier Swissair , said Sunday it was forced to cancel 240 flights in the last month and delay more because of technical problems.

The airline's suffering from a severe shortage of staff and is looking for at least 200 workers. And with unresolved bickering among pilots, it seems they can't keep the staff they do have happy.

What's more, the airline is headed for a giant full year loss despite heavy government subsidies.

Even so, the Internet still beckons.

"For business travelers, in particular, access via their own laptop to their company's Intranet or e-mail server which they are accustomed to in their offices, will be very useful," Lufthansa says. "In addition, from their seat, they will have unlimited direct access to the entire Internet with all its possibilities."

A Swiss spokeswoman says they're exploring their options.

But maybe they just shouldn't.

Instead of trying to provide the latest bells and whistles, Swiss should just concentrate on the basics: getting customers from here to there, and back. And at a profit, preferably.

JAL, British Airways and Lufthansa may be solid enough to pursue these flights of fancy, but providing customers with Internet access at 30,000 feet should be one of the last things on Swiss' mind, at least for now.

-By Carey Sargent, Dow Jones Newswires; +41 1 211 6637; carey.sargent@dowjones.com

Updated July 30, 2002 2:05 a.m. EDT

Some things never change....