Swiss is cancelling 1,400 flights for the 2025 summer season, accounting for 1.5% of its total scheduled departures, due to a shortage of pilots and aircraft.
Flights on short- and medium-haul routes, as well as long-haul destinations like Shanghai Pudong and Chicago O’Hare, will be cut until October as the airline faces multiple operational issues.
A new collective labour agreement has resulted in reduced working hours for pilots, alongside an increase in sick and parental leave affecting crew availability.
Swiss is planning to enhance its pilot training capabilities, aiming to increase hires from 80 to 110 pilots annually while urging older pilots to delay retirement and part-time personnel to increase their hours.
Ongoing problems with the A220 fleet, particularly involving Pratt & Whitney engines, have left some aircraft inactive, complicating the recruitment of additional crews from parent Lufthansa.
