Although summer is approaching in lower than two weeks, airlines have already begun working on their winter schedules ahead of the same old slot allocation timetables this 12 months. Flag carrier Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is one such airline, after announcing today that it’ll offer many short- and medium-haul flight services in the approaching winter schedules.
With a mixture of latest destinations and increased frequencies on chosen existing routes, SWISS goals to supply flight services to at the least 68 short- and medium-haul destinations from Zurich and Geneva in the approaching 2023/2024 winter timetable period. Moreover, the flag carrier will significantly reduce the variety of wet lease flights this winter by halving the variety of flights operated by airBaltic and Helvetic Airways.
Quite a lot of winter flight offers from Zurich
From its central global hub at Zurich Airport, the Star Alliance member will offer roughly 63 short- and medium-haul destinations within the upcoming winter schedule, 4 greater than within the previous one. Latest to the network is the resumption of flights to Bremen in Northern Germany, which is able to receive a four-times-weekly service aimed toward each leisure and business passengers.
Photo: SWISS
Bremen initially joined the SWISS network within the winter schedule of 2018/2019, however the flights were subsequently suspended in the sunshine of the pandemic. One other recent addition to the network is the restoration of flight services from Zurich to Vienna, with the airline offering three day by day flights to the Austrian capital. This route will even be operated by sister carrier Austrian Airlines with multiple day by day flights.
The airline will even be increasing frequencies from Zurich to several other German cities, resembling six more weekly flights to Düsseldorf compared to the previous winter schedule, 4 more to Hamburg, and an extra two to Hanover. Berlin will receive 52 weekly SWISS flights from Zurich this winter. As for elsewhere in Europe, Prague and Bucharest will even see their frequencies expanded by an extra seven and five weekly flights respectively, this winter.
Then there’s Amsterdam receiving 28 weekly flights; Athens will get 19 weekly flights; and Barcelona will accept 28 weekly flights. And with Portugal becoming a more popular marker in SWISS’s winter schedule, the capital Lisbon will receive 14 weekly flights, and Porto shall be served with 11 weekly flights.
Photo: Airbus
Geneva has plenty to supply as well
While its offerings from Zurich are undoubtedly impressive, SWISS also boasts a similarly attractive flight program from Geneva Airport in the approaching winter, with about 21 short- and medium-haul destinations available. For starters, the flight service to Hamburg introduced this coming summer shall be continued throughout the winter, with 4 weekly frequencies.
Flight services to Athens, London, Lisbon, and Porto will even be included with added frequencies to spoil passengers with a significantly greater selection, and the airline hints at the potential of adding more flight services to Geneva from the UK and Scandinavia for winter sports enthusiasts. The airline also implies that the short and medium-haul destinations offered from Geneva could increase, as Chief Industrial Officer Tamur Goudarzi Pour highlighted:
“We’re pleased to offer the various people who find themselves currently showing such a powerful desire to travel a fair broader range of routes and services in our coming winter schedules. And, in doing so, to proceed on our present path of regular and stable growth.”
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
Bottom line
Besides the overwhelming 68 short- and mid-haul destinations planned for winter, SWISS will even offer 21 long-haul destinations from Zurich and Geneva. Which means for now, the overall variety of winter destinations offered stands at 89, a brief throw away from the 93 destinations offered within the previous winter schedule.
While it’s certain that 89 is not going to be the ultimate number for this coming winter schedule, it’ll be interesting to see how busy the cold seasons shall be for the flag carrier, especially because it plans to ramp up flight services while also decreasing the variety of wet leased flights.