Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) carried 1,334,655 passengers during the autumn holiday period from September 25 to October 18, 1.5% fewer than a year earlier, as departure punctuality improved by 3.7 percentage points, the Zurich-based airline said on October 21.
The Lufthansa Group carrier operated 10,154 flights over the period. Some 68% of departures left on time, defined as no more than 15 minutes behind schedule, while operational stability, the share of flights operated against the schedule set 12 weeks in advance, held at 98.2%.
London Heathrow was the most popular European destination, followed by Palma de Mallorca and Berlin. On long-haul routes, US cities led demand, with New York JFK ahead of Chicago O’Hare and Boston.
“Unlike the summer holiday period, the peak travel demand in autumn is concentrated within a relatively short period,” said Oliver Buchhofer, Chief Operating Officer of SWISS. “This makes it all the more important that our operations run reliably, even when demand is high, and that our passengers reach their destinations as punctually as possible.”
Buchhofer said the improvement in punctuality was the result of optimised processes introduced together with the airline’s partners, adding that the high level of operational stability showed its operational system was “fundamentally working well”.
The autumn figures follow SWISS’s plans to launch Toulouse services and expand flights across Europe and Asia.
