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Thread: Is swiss next?
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Old 29th October 2003 | 05:59
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ettore
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From: Arroyo
BA will certainly put more pressure starting from the next STT, if Swiss still exists at that point (line of credit still pending). The most obvious redundancy exists on Far-East routes. Some very profitable destinations in Africa were already given up by Swiss before the agreement with BA was known, just as if Swiss was getting ready for it.
In the meantime, the Swiss code-share agreement with BA partner and merger candidate Iberia led to a very telling recrutment add published last week both in the Swiss German and Swiss French parts of the country: Iberia is seeking regional pilots based in Switzerland (GVA and ZRH)!
I do not want to rush the conclusion but I do see a connection with the fact that Swiss is now renegociating its Embraer orders. Their financing is much to expensive, the E-170 is not holding its promises (certification coming in November, but performances below and weight beyond what the former Crossair ordered) and above all Swiss doesn't need those A/C.
The recruting of Embraer pilots by Swiss on a short term basis (November 03 to March 04) over a broker do match a downsizing of the Embraer orders. Paradoxically, Swiss is firing now 526 regional pilots and argues that the rest has to undergo a new training to fly what is left in the fleet (Bae-146 and E-145). It has indeed over 100 pilots now (of a total of 450) to fly six Saab 2000! But it's only a part of the truth.
The other part is that Swiss will need less Embraer pilots starting from the STT thanks to the Iberia Code-Share Agreement. It's one of the effect of BA pressure on Swiss overcapacities. Might be sound for the future of a reasonnably sized Swiss Airline. Might also be too late.
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