Darwin Airline (Lugano) is set to begin offering its own Lugano to Zurich services with effect from October 30. The double-daily flights will go head-to-head with those of Swiss (LX, Zurich), for which it currently operates the route.
With Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi International) having acquired a 33% stake in Darwin earlier this year, Swiss decided to award the route to fellow Lufthansa (LH, Frankfurt International) group subsidiary, Tyrolean Airways (Innsbruck), on the grounds that Darwin, also known as Etihad Regional, now constituted a competitor.
Given the thinness of the route, Swiss aviation analyst Andreas Wittmer, in an interview with the Tages Anzeiger newspaper, speculated as to how long each carrier will be able to sustain the flights arguing that their viability will be dictated by the convenience of connecting flights available in Zurich.
