Swiss (LX, Zurich) has cancelled hundreds more flights - this time between August and October 2022 - to ease growing capacity constraints on its schedule and the country's airport system as the high summer season approaches.
A total of 676 flights representing 2% of the airline's planned flight programme of 31,414 services between August and October are affected, Swiss announced in a statement. The move, it said, would minimise the risk of short-notice cancellations or schedule modifications.
The airline already cut about 100 flights in July and August affecting around 30,000 passengers.
Sister carrier Lufthansa (LH, Frankfurt International) has slashed about 3,000 flights at its Frankfurt International and Munich hubs during the summer. Traffic bottlenecks at European airports have also forced capacity cuts at Eurowings, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, and easyJet, amongst others.
Swiss said it was responding to "huge operational challenges" and a "very tense situation" throughout the airline industry, following rising COVID infections in some European countries, significant capacity constraints, and strikes at several European airports and air navigation services providers.
Sister carrier Austrian Airlines (OS, Vienna) will operate services between Zurich and Vienna until the end of the 2022/23 winter schedules.
The planned adjustments may also affect Swiss' cargo capacities on certain routes. The carrier would operate selective all-cargo services if necessary to alleviate the potential impact.
"The complex aviation system in Europe and worldwide is currently operating at its limits," explains Swiss Chief Executive Officer Dieter Vranckx.
Swiss will offer most affected passengers an alternative flight for the same day of travel.
