In a video interview at the Routes Reconnected conference, Dieter Vranckx, Chief Executive Officer of Swiss Airlinesoutlined the recovery in air traffic. " There is no doubt that we are currently witnessing spectacular changes in business travel. So I'm expecting this traffic volume to fall between 2021 and 2025. It's up to us to adapt to this new situation" he says.
In the turmoil caused by the pandemic, Swiss has maintained its hub at Zurich. Even if the number of flights has been reduced. " We offer around 70% from our pre-Covid destinations. However, some of our routes are...
In a video interview at the Routes Reconnected conference, Dieter Vranckx, Chief Executive Officer of Swiss Airlinesoutlined the recovery in air traffic. " There is no doubt that we are currently witnessing spectacular changes in business travel. So I'm expecting this traffic volume to fall between 2021 and 2025. It's up to us to adapt to this new situation" he says.
In the turmoil caused by the pandemic, Swiss has maintained its hub at Zurich. Even if the number of flights has been reduced. " We offer around 70% from our pre-Covid destinations. However, some of our routes are only served for freight. This is the case for Mumbai and Shanghai, for example. Cargo allows us to maintaining hub activity. It is essential to Switzerland's global connectivity" explains the Managing Director.
From Zurich, Swiss also continues to operate most of its European routes. But even there, with less frequency. " Visit Brussels For example, we're offering three flights a week instead of the thirty or so weekly flights we had before 2020. In fact, it is only vaccination that will significantly change demand." he adds.
Which markets should be the first to recover? " It will be Europe but rather leisure destinations to start with. Then it will be the turn of the United States and finally Asia." predicts Dieter Vranckx.
The future probably looks like a businessman who starts his day with a virtual meeting and then flies off in the afternoon for a face-to-face meeting.
Business travel will bounce back, but it will take time. It will continue to be impacted by new travel behaviours. " Face-to-face contact will return, because not everything can be dealt with exclusively in online meetings. I don't think we're going to go from one extreme to the other. But it's safe to assume that business trips back and forth by the day will be affected. The future probably looks like a businessman who starts his day with a virtual meeting and then gets on a plane. in the afternoon for a face-to-face meeting" .
" The demand for travel is very strong, and the markets are sure to come back. First of all the quarantines be lifted around the world. It is a essential condition for recovery" says Dieter Vranckx. In his view, airlines need to focus on the next five years, as this is a critical period for the survival of many of them. " We need to redefine our public image in the post-covid world" he says.
This will involve, in particular, a greater effort in favour of theenvironment and product durability. For Dieter Vranckx, the Covid has somewhat pushed environmental considerations into the background. " But they will come back, and the demand for sustainability will be particularly strong in Europe. We have already cut our CO2 emissions by 27%. The public is calling for even greater efforts, and we need to demonstrate our innovative spirit." he assures us.
No change to the Zurich hub
What will Swiss look like in the post-Covid world? According to the CEO, the Swiss carrier will retain its Zurich hub because it has proved its resilience. But it confirms that future size of Swiss will be smaller than before Covid. " We're going to keep most of our network, but we need to adjust our capacity. We need to adapt to weaker demand. We will give more details during the second quarter." says Dieter Vranckx. Zurich saves its skin as a hub. Much to the satisfaction of passengers, who generally praise the comfort of this airport.
