Info => Swissair ( SR / SWR ) Switzerland
Swissair IATA
SRICAO
SWRCallsign
SWISSAIRFounded 1931 Ceased operations March 31, 2002 Hubs Flughafen Zürich
Geneva CointrinFrequent flyer program Qualiflyer Member lounge Swissair Lounge Alliance Qualiflyer Fleet size 77 at bankruptcy Destinations 157 Parent company SAirGroup Headquarters Kloten, Switzerland Key people Mario Corti, CEO Website: www.swissair.com
Swissair (Swiss Air Transport Company Limited) was the former national airline of Switzerland. It was formed of a merger between Balair and Ad Astra Aero (To the Stars), in 1931.For most of its 71 years, Swissair was one of the major international airlines and known as the "Flying Bank" due to the financial stability of the airline, causing it be regarded as a Swiss national symbol and icon.
Nearly 30 percent of Swissair stock was owned by the Swiss government, and at the demise of the airline, Swissair belonged to the holding company SAirGroup, the regional airline Crossair, and the charter company Balair. Its major hubs until the early 1990s were at Zürich International Airport and Geneva Cointrin International Airport. Its successor, Swiss International Air Lines, is using the old Crossair sign LX and the ICAO code SWR.
In the 1990s Swissair initiated the Hunter Strategy, a major expansion program devised by the consulting firm of McKinsey & Co. Using this strategy, Swissair aimed to grow its market share through the acquisition of small airlines rather than entering into alliances agreements. Swissair was advised to acquire 49.5 percent of the unprofitable Belgian flag carrier, Sabena, and significant stakes in the carriers Air Liberté, AOM, Air Littoral, Volare, LOT, Air Europe, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, South African Airways, Portugalia and LTU.
Like other airlines, Swissair's operations and profitability were disrupted in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. As Swissair's directors included many politicians, commentators have pointed to potential conflicts of interest as fundamental to the demise of Swissair. The judiciary is continuing to examine why Swissair acquired counselling that supported the Hunter Strategy, and why Swissair continued to make certain payments despite nearing insolvency. Questions have also been raised about federal aid given to Swissair and the politicians involved. The highly competitive nature of the market during the business's final years also precipitated its demise: like rival company Sabena, Swissair fell victim to the competition of "budget airlines" such as Ryanair and easyJet.
Before its collapse, Swissair operated the following aircraft.
Aircraft | Total | Delivered | Retired | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Fokker VII a | 1 | 1931 | 1950 | acquired from Balair |
Fokker VII b | 8 | 1931 | 1935 | acquired from Ad Astra |
Dornier Merkur | 2 | 1931 | 1931 | acquired from Balair and Ad Astra |
BFW/Messerschmitt M18 d | 1 | 1931 | 1938 | |
Comte AC-4 | 1 | 1931 | 1947 | acquired from Ad Astra now in the SR Technics Hangar in Zürich |
Lockheed L-9 Orion | 2 | 1932 | 1936 | both were sold to the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War |
Clark G.A. 43 | 2 | 1934 | 1936 | first all-metal plane in Swissair fleet |
Curtiss AT-32C Condor | 1 | 1934 | 1934 | first European airliner to have a stewardess crashed in 1934 |
Douglas DC-2 | 6 | 1934 | 1952 | built under licence by Fokker near Amsterdam some were sold all were destroyed or crashed |
Junkers Ju-86 B-0 | 2 | 1936 | 1939 | crash-landed or crashed |
de Havilland Mosquito | 1 | 1945 | 1945 | was originally used as a Royal Air Force fighter aircraft in World War II, fell into Swiss hands Swiss government used it, sold it to Swissair in 1944 |
Mraz M-65 Cap | 1 | 1948 | 1950 | built under license by Fieseler Storch sold to Lindt & Sprüngli |
Nord 1000 | 1 | 1948 | 1953 | sold to Federal Air Office |
Douglas DC-4 | 5 | 1946 | 1959 | used on service to JFK three crashed or were damaged or destroyed |
Convair CV-240 | 8 | 1949 | 1957 | most were sold some scrapped, one crashed |
Douglas DC-6 | 8 | 1951 | 1962 | most were sold, one was leased most were written off or crashed, one's whereabouts are not known |
Douglas DC-7c | 5 | 1956 | 1962 | all were sold one was the last DC-7 to be built |
Convair CV-440 Metropolitan | 12 | 1956 | 1968 | most were sold most crashed or were written off one crashed before being used by Swissair first Swissair plane to use integrated Weather Radar |
Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer | 1 | 1957 | 1957 | used for high-altitude airports crashed |
Sud Aviation SE210 Caravelle | 8 | 1960 | 1971 | Swissair's first jetliner first ones leased from Scandinavian Airlines System most were sold some crashed or were broken up, one still survives |
Douglas DC-8-32 | 3 | 1960 | 1967 | one was converted to a -53 |
Convair 880-22M | 2 | 1961 | 1962 | sold leased pending delivery of Convair 990s; one later flew for Cathay Pacific, while the other served with Japan Domestic Airlines and crashed on a training flight in August 1966. |
Convair 990 | 8 | 1962 | 1975 | most were sold, one donated one crashed, some were scrapped & some were put in storage |
Douglas DC-8-53 | 2 | 1963 | 1976 | one was converted from a -32 one was hijacked & was blown up after passengers were released one was sold |
Douglas DC-9-15 | 5 | 1966 | 1968 | sent back to Douglas or sold most still flying, one in storage, one's whereabouts unknown |
BAC One-Eleven | 3 | 1968 | 1969 | some sold one stored, one written off, one crashed |
Douglas DC-9-32 | 22 | 1967 | 1988 | sold some still flying, some stored, some’s whereabouts are unknown one made a belly landing, but was repaired one was operated as a freighter -33F |
Douglas DC-8-62 | 7 | 1967 | 1984 | most were sold some still flying, some stored, some's whereabouts are unknown, one was written off after it crashed two were operated as freighter -62F's |
Boeing 747-257B | 2 | 1971 | 1984 | sold stored, one was scrapped |
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 | 14 (2 were ER version) | 1972 | 1992 | sold some were stored, some were scrapped, some's whereabouts are unknown |
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-41 | 4 | 1974 | 1975 | leased from SAS |
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-51 | 12 | 1975 | 1988 | sold some stored, some broken up, some still flying |
McDonnell Douglas MD-81/82/83 | 26 | 1980 | 1998 | most sold some stored, one written off, one crashed before delivery, some still flying |
Airbus A310-221 | 5 | 1983 | 1995 | sold to Fedex, converted to freighters still flying |
Boeing 747-357 | 5 | 1983 | 2000 | one was the prototype three were combis, two were leased sold some stored, one being broken up, one now flying, one's fate unknown |
Airbus A310-332 | 6 | 1985 | 2000 | sold one stored, one scrapped, some fates are unknown, some still flying |
Fokker 100 | 6 | 1988 | 1996 | sold most fates are unknown, some still flying |
McDonnell Douglas MD-11 | 16 | 1991 | 2004 | most were sold some fates are unknown, some still flying, one crashed |
Airbus A321-111 | 12 | 1995 | 2002 | some were sold, some were returned to Swiss International Air Lines still flying |
Airbus A320-214 | 20 | 1995 | 2002 | some were sold, some were returned to Swiss International Air Lines still flying one was the first to use the new Swiss livery |
Airbus A319-112 | 9 | 1996 | 2002 | some were sold, most were returned to Swiss International Air Lines still flying, one collided w/ another aircraft on the ground, but was repaired |
Airbus A330-223 | 16 | 1998 | 2002 | some were sold, some were returned to Swiss International Air Lines |
Airbus A340-600 | order: 9 delivered: - |
contract delivery: 2002 | when Swissair went bankrupt, Swiss cancelled the orders and ordered the A340-300 |
[Swissair Asia
Swissair Asia was formed in 1995 to allow for the company to fly to Taiwan while still maintaining flights in the People's Republic of China. Aircraft formerly used by Swissair Asia had the Chinese character Ruì (瑞), from the Chinese translation of Switzerland, Ruìshì (瑞士,means Switzerland), on the tail fin instead of the cross.
[Swissair legacy
Crossair restarted the company in 2001 and the successor airlines Swiss International Air Lines and Swiss European Air Lines were born. These two airlines are divisions of Swiss, the parent company. Swiss merged into the Lufthansa Group and Deutsche Lufthansa AG, the flag carrier of Germany.
With the merger with Lufthansa, Swiss joined the Star Alliance as Lufthansa is a member of Star Alliance. The two airlines operate their flights on behalf of each other, making up something similar to a joint flag carrier of Germany and Switzerland.
At one point, it appeared that Swiss was going to become a member of the Oneworld alliance. It had codeshares with Oneworld carriers British Airways, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Aer Lingus and Finnair, and held a strategic partnership and joint operation for all service to North America and AA-operated flights beyond U.S. gateways using American Airlines. Swiss started to terminate these codeshare agreements, but did not terminate the AA alliance. A theory emerged that Swiss was planning to use its partnerships, the AA alliance, and its partnership with British Airways, a strong supportive member of Oneworld, to join Oneworld itself. Swiss took a sudden turn in 2005 with its alliance with Lufthansa, and continued into the Star Alliance network. Throughout this the American Airlines alliance remained, but did not expand. Swiss then created an alliance with Star Alliance member United Airlines and replaced some of the American Airlines codeshare destinations from Dallas and JFK, AA's hubs with United codeshare service out of O'Hare (the only place where American Airlines and United share a hub) and Washington Dulles International Airport. Therefore, the American Airlines alliance was weakened.
Swiss recycled the Swissair fleet and refurbished the liveries to turn it into the new Swiss fleet. Swiss has since retired all of its Boeing and McDonnell Douglas fleet and operates all Airbus models from the A319 to the A340 aircraft. Swiss retired its Saab 2000 and Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft, and operates the British Aerospace Avro Aerospace RJ-85 and 100 aircraft. Swiss's frequent flyer club, Swiss TravelClub became part of Miles & More, which was originally the Lufthansa frequent flyer club. It acts as both airlines' frequent flyer program.
[Accidents and incidents
Over the 71 year history of Swissair, there were sixteen major incidents reported resulting in 390 fatalities.
June 19, 1954 | A Convair CV-240 ditches due to fuel starvation in the English Channel, near Folkestone. All three crew members survive, but three of the five passengers die as they are unable to swim. Passenger aircraft at this time were not obliged to carry life rafts or life-jackets, and this was one of the many incidents which inspired this obligation to be passed as law. |
July 15, 1956 | A Convair CV-440 crashes during a delivery flight from San Diego, California to Zürich via New York, Gander and Shannon. On approach to Shannon, the pilots execute an abnormally steep turn, causing the aircraft to stall and drop to the ground. Four crew members die. |
June 18, 1957 | A Douglas DC-3 crashes during a flight exercise conducted under visual flight rules with nine people aboard. All die. The aim of the exercise was to practise flying with one engine switched off and propellers feathered. |
September 4, 1963 | Without authorization, the pilot of a Swissair Sud Aviation Caravelle carrying seventy-four passengers and six crew members taxies halfway along a runway at Zürich Airport in order to inspect and clear fog. He then returns to the start of the runway and takes off. Ten minutes later the aircraft crashes, killing all on board. During its initial ascent, witnesses state they saw smoke issuing from one of its engines. Subsequent investigation establishes that braking during the pilot's unauthorized maneuver overheated a tyre, causing it to burst, damaging a fuel line and starting the fire that ultimately led to loss of aircraft control. |
February 10, 1967 | A Convair CV-440 collides with a cloud-covered mountain; four crew members died. |
February 21, 1970 | A bomb on board a Convair CV-990 cripples Swissair Flight 330 nine minutes after take-off from Zürich to Tel Aviv. Forty-seven die when the aircraft crashes while attempting an emergency landing at Zürich. |
September 6, 1970 | Three empty hijacked jet airliners, one belonging to Swissair, are blown up by terrorists at Dawson's Field, Zerqa, Jordan. See Dawson's Field hijackings. |
October 8, 1979 | A Douglas DC-8 lands under "adverse conditions" at Athens International Airport, overshooting the runway and killing fourteen passengers. The plane touches down at too great a speed and too far along the runway for the pilots to use sufficient braking and reverse thrust. |
September 2, 1998 | A McDonnell Douglas MD-11 travelling from New York's JFK International Airport to Geneva crashes due to fire and subsequent instrument failure at night off the coast of Peggy's Cove, 80 km south-west of Halifax, Nova Scotia. All 215 passengers and 14 crew members died. See Swissair Flight 111 |