Guernsey - Swiss Banks seek interest in a Zurich air link return
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Guernsey - Swiss Banks seek interest in a Zurich air link return
From the Guernsey Press.
Any thoughts?
Banks seek interest in a Zurich air link return
by Alex Hanna
TWO Channel Islands-based Swiss banks want a direct Zurich air link reinstated.
Credit Suisse and UBS are seeking to gauge public opinion.
‘I imagine we could find quite a reasonable interest,’ said UBS chief executive officer Hans Baerlocher.
‘We felt that there were not enough connections to the Continent in general and not just Zurich.’
The banks both do a significant amount of business with the Swiss city and have already been in discussions with Aurigny about the feasibility of providing direct flights. They have offered to do the research and to help, to some extent, with prices.
‘If there is sufficient demand, then we are certainly confident that a link between the Channel Islands and the Continent will be established,’ said Credit Suisse chief executive officer Albert Good, who is also Honorary Swiss Consul for the Channel Islands, and Mr Baerlocher.
‘It will make transport easier and more efficient for both business and leisure travellers and should also help to grow business.’
Mr Baerlocher said that senior managers were being put off coming to the island because of the inconvenience of having to change planes.
‘It does more damage long-term, because if senior executives don’t actually see what is here in the island, they won’t get an impression of what we have here and so they are less likely to direct business here.’
Direct flights to/from the two islands were discontinued on 30 March 2003 by Swiss International Airlines. Currently, it is possible to reach Zurich only via Southampton and Geneva, which involves an additional three-hour train journey, or by flying to Gatwick and then taking a direct flight from Heathrow.
Mr Baerlocher envisaged a smaller plane being used on the route, possibly similar to the Saab previously used. He suggested that an average return ticket could cost about £300.
‘It is not very cheap, but it is also not very expensive and it is very convenient.
‘The previous Swiss link was never unprofitable over the year and I don’t think the plane was ever less than half full, but the company ran into problems.
‘A lot of people also like to go skiing and Zurich can be a good changing airport for other long-haul destinations, such as South Africa.’
He said that the company would consider helping with handling fees in Zurich, or landing fees in the islands.
‘It has to be a commercial proposition and so we need to quantify the interest first.’
Credit Suisse employs 373 people across the Channel Islands and UBS 175 in Jersey. It estimated that between them, on average, three people travel back and forth every day, normally business class.
Aurigny marketing manager Ian Le Moigne said: ‘We have been in discussion with the other parties and the feasibility is now with UBS and Credit Suisse. We will wait for them to go to the market and revert to us.’
The Commerce and Employment Department is also interested in the potential link, which would benefit the island.
‘Clearly, it is all down to the market, but the more links we have with the Continent, then the better position we are in to market the island as a tourist destination and to meet the needs of businessmen,’ said chief officer Nigel Lewis.
‘There is no doubt that there is interest there, but the whole question is to what extent the link is viable from an airline’s point of view.
‘We hope they [the links] will come to fruition, but we are realistic that it will depend on the harsh facts of the market.’
* Individuals who might use a new air link, for business or leisure, should contact Anne Hamon on 233865, or e-mail [email protected], or they can send a letter to Credit Suisse (Guernsey), PO Box 368, St Peter Port, GY1 3YJ
Any thoughts?
Banks seek interest in a Zurich air link return
by Alex Hanna
TWO Channel Islands-based Swiss banks want a direct Zurich air link reinstated.
Credit Suisse and UBS are seeking to gauge public opinion.
‘I imagine we could find quite a reasonable interest,’ said UBS chief executive officer Hans Baerlocher.
‘We felt that there were not enough connections to the Continent in general and not just Zurich.’
The banks both do a significant amount of business with the Swiss city and have already been in discussions with Aurigny about the feasibility of providing direct flights. They have offered to do the research and to help, to some extent, with prices.
‘If there is sufficient demand, then we are certainly confident that a link between the Channel Islands and the Continent will be established,’ said Credit Suisse chief executive officer Albert Good, who is also Honorary Swiss Consul for the Channel Islands, and Mr Baerlocher.
‘It will make transport easier and more efficient for both business and leisure travellers and should also help to grow business.’
Mr Baerlocher said that senior managers were being put off coming to the island because of the inconvenience of having to change planes.
‘It does more damage long-term, because if senior executives don’t actually see what is here in the island, they won’t get an impression of what we have here and so they are less likely to direct business here.’
Direct flights to/from the two islands were discontinued on 30 March 2003 by Swiss International Airlines. Currently, it is possible to reach Zurich only via Southampton and Geneva, which involves an additional three-hour train journey, or by flying to Gatwick and then taking a direct flight from Heathrow.
Mr Baerlocher envisaged a smaller plane being used on the route, possibly similar to the Saab previously used. He suggested that an average return ticket could cost about £300.
‘It is not very cheap, but it is also not very expensive and it is very convenient.
‘The previous Swiss link was never unprofitable over the year and I don’t think the plane was ever less than half full, but the company ran into problems.
‘A lot of people also like to go skiing and Zurich can be a good changing airport for other long-haul destinations, such as South Africa.’
He said that the company would consider helping with handling fees in Zurich, or landing fees in the islands.
‘It has to be a commercial proposition and so we need to quantify the interest first.’
Credit Suisse employs 373 people across the Channel Islands and UBS 175 in Jersey. It estimated that between them, on average, three people travel back and forth every day, normally business class.
Aurigny marketing manager Ian Le Moigne said: ‘We have been in discussion with the other parties and the feasibility is now with UBS and Credit Suisse. We will wait for them to go to the market and revert to us.’
The Commerce and Employment Department is also interested in the potential link, which would benefit the island.
‘Clearly, it is all down to the market, but the more links we have with the Continent, then the better position we are in to market the island as a tourist destination and to meet the needs of businessmen,’ said chief officer Nigel Lewis.
‘There is no doubt that there is interest there, but the whole question is to what extent the link is viable from an airline’s point of view.
‘We hope they [the links] will come to fruition, but we are realistic that it will depend on the harsh facts of the market.’
* Individuals who might use a new air link, for business or leisure, should contact Anne Hamon on 233865, or e-mail [email protected], or they can send a letter to Credit Suisse (Guernsey), PO Box 368, St Peter Port, GY1 3YJ
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2 might be company, and 3 a crowd, but is it really enough for a daily scheduled air link? Still, the point about route combinations is interesting. EZ pulled out of LGW to ZRH due to a landing fees dispute. Would that have previously been acceptable to the men in suits? Probably not, because of no guarantee on connections + frequency issues.
Flybe have dropped SOU to GVA, or is this just seasonal? So I'd guess that Flybe to BHX and then Swiss to ZRH would be the shortest route which avoids crossing between airports?
Flybe have dropped SOU to GVA, or is this just seasonal? So I'd guess that Flybe to BHX and then Swiss to ZRH would be the shortest route which avoids crossing between airports?
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I've always been very supprised that Swiss stopped flying to Jersey and Guernsey with the Saab 2000 as the pax loads were generally very good. Always lot's of business class passengers in expensive suits and briefcases. Surely they must have paid a lot for their ticket, one wonders?
In hindsight it was all part of the political move (inspired by the ex-Swissair maffia) to label all remaining ex-Crossair routes as expensive and unprofitable in the new airline called S.w.i.s.s. (So What It's Still Swissair) and provide the necesary excuse to cut in the ex-Crossair network.
Let's hope someone else will have the common sence to link Zurich with Jersey and Guernsey. What about FlyBE and their Q400's?
One more nail into the coffin of S.w.i.s.s.
In hindsight it was all part of the political move (inspired by the ex-Swissair maffia) to label all remaining ex-Crossair routes as expensive and unprofitable in the new airline called S.w.i.s.s. (So What It's Still Swissair) and provide the necesary excuse to cut in the ex-Crossair network.
Let's hope someone else will have the common sence to link Zurich with Jersey and Guernsey. What about FlyBE and their Q400's?
One more nail into the coffin of S.w.i.s.s.
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Q400s have 78 seats, afaik. Surely that would be too big to fill? Also, since when have Flybe shown any interest in expanding inot mainland Europe from the Channel Islands, now they've gone through two name changes without the Jersey?
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Saab 2000 Driver...
...sad, that there are still people like you around.
I'm sure you're one of the "Moritz Suter is our god"-type of guy, but whatever happened - it's the past.
Stop living in the past, live today. And today is Swiss. And they need every support they can get!
Last but not least: If Swiss gets bankrupt again, all your old buddies from ex-crossair will lose their job, too!
...sad, that there are still people like you around.
I'm sure you're one of the "Moritz Suter is our god"-type of guy, but whatever happened - it's the past.
Stop living in the past, live today. And today is Swiss. And they need every support they can get!
Last but not least: If Swiss gets bankrupt again, all your old buddies from ex-crossair will lose their job, too!
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Voeni, let's stick to the topic!
Fact is that a lot of airlines (like Crossair before the S.w.i.s.s. monster came along) make a good living flying small airplanes to niche markets like Jersey, Guernsey and London City. Think about al the banking businesses on the Channel Islands and in Switzerland... Like I said before, I have flown this route many times and the loads were always very good, with a lot of C-Class passengers. IMHO I think that an airline should be able to make a profit on the JER-ZRH sector.
Swissair on the other hand has not made a profit since the mid 90's, flying big fancy airplanes to destinations where everybody else flies to anyway. [hence a lot of competition and low (or even negative) operating margins].
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Who exactly is living "in the past?" S.w.i.s.s. are going DOWN dude! Like a lead balloon! An oversized airline full of nice and flashy A320/A330/A340's competing head to head with LH, AF, BA and KL. I'm happy I'm out and I will open a nice bottle of Champagne when grounding number 2 hits! Santé!
p.s. you are right about one thing though: they need ALL the help/support they can get!
Fact is that a lot of airlines (like Crossair before the S.w.i.s.s. monster came along) make a good living flying small airplanes to niche markets like Jersey, Guernsey and London City. Think about al the banking businesses on the Channel Islands and in Switzerland... Like I said before, I have flown this route many times and the loads were always very good, with a lot of C-Class passengers. IMHO I think that an airline should be able to make a profit on the JER-ZRH sector.
Swissair on the other hand has not made a profit since the mid 90's, flying big fancy airplanes to destinations where everybody else flies to anyway. [hence a lot of competition and low (or even negative) operating margins].
Stop living in the past, live today. And today is Swiss. And they need every support they can get!
p.s. you are right about one thing though: they need ALL the help/support they can get!
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I know when the route was running that the Swiss Banks here in Guernsey, and many others in the finance industry didn't blink at paying £500+ if they had too in order to get their with the least hassle and time.
After all the more time spent travelling means less billable hours and the people who travel a lot have a high charge out rate.
I hope someone takes this route on.
After all the more time spent travelling means less billable hours and the people who travel a lot have a high charge out rate.
I hope someone takes this route on.
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Might it be possible for VLM to re-establish the Zurich route? They showed interest in operating from Jersey and Guernsey to Zurich last year, they were even granted a license but failed to take it up. With their new Jersey to London City route taking off on the 30th June and the possibility of further expansion in the islands, Zurich could presumably be a success with the Fokker 50.
Certainly a Zurich route is of extreme importance to the islands, not just for the finance industry but also for tourism and access to a European hub as it is very inconvenient and expensive for locals to have to transfer from Gatwick to Heathrow for flights.
Certainly a Zurich route is of extreme importance to the islands, not just for the finance industry but also for tourism and access to a European hub as it is very inconvenient and expensive for locals to have to transfer from Gatwick to Heathrow for flights.
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Very true J Guy.
When you factor in you might need an overnight in London to make sure fog or other delays don't affect you then paying top dollar for a direct flight doesn't really matter cause if flight goes ok no delays you get there quicker. If delayed you can just go home so no hotel to pay for! and you don't lose out financially.
I think quite a few skiers might be interested as well.
When you factor in you might need an overnight in London to make sure fog or other delays don't affect you then paying top dollar for a direct flight doesn't really matter cause if flight goes ok no delays you get there quicker. If delayed you can just go home so no hotel to pay for! and you don't lose out financially.
I think quite a few skiers might be interested as well.
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Funny that is why the suits want to restrt the routes!!
Surely a route from Guernsey to Zurich Via Jersey and back would work!
Especially when it is such a pain in the arse to get to mainland Europe from GCI/JCI!
Surely a route from Guernsey to Zurich Via Jersey and back would work!
Especially when it is such a pain in the arse to get to mainland Europe from GCI/JCI!
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Yes Guern, a lot of it was politics, rather than economic common sence. Just like the whole airline (S.w.i.s.s.) as a matter of fact... Could it be that Swiss had to cut a lot of profitable ex-Crossair routes so that they could then say that the remaining (ex-Crossair network) routes were losing money and (ex-Crossair) jobs could be slashed?
As a matter of fact, after a lot of 'loss making' ex-Crossair routes were cut and the ex-Crossair pilots fired, Swiss re-instated some of those routes again and operates them through a wetlease operators like Denim Air.
Exactly my point Guern! Like I said before, I find it hard to believe that this route was unprofitable in the S.w.i.s.s. network and I hope someone will fill the void. Perhaps the Q400 is too large (as Flightmapping pointed out) but maybe the older DHC 8-200's (FlyBE) or Saab 340's (Aurigny) will do the job quite nicely.
Could it be that Swiss had to cut a lot of profitable ex-Crossair routes so that they could then say that the remaining (ex-Crossair network) routes were losing money and (ex-Crossair) jobs could be slashed? As a matter of fact, after a lot of 'loss making' ex-Crossair routes were cut and the ex-Crossair pilots fired, Swiss re-instated some of those routes again and operates them through a wetlease operators like Denim Air.
I know when the route was running that the Swiss Banks here in Guernsey, and many others in the finance industry didn't blink at paying £500+ if they had too in order to get their with the least hassle and time.
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Absolutley SAAB 2000 Driver.
Just a case of the right aircraft for the Job, I reckon start small and if the route warrants it use more rotations or a bigger aircraft.
Just a case of the right aircraft for the Job, I reckon start small and if the route warrants it use more rotations or a bigger aircraft.
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Saab 2000 Driver - flybe no longer have any DHC8-200s on line, they have all gone back (just about) to Bombardier in part-exchange against more 400s. The same is planned for the 300s.
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Hmmm, I didn't know FlyBE no longer have Dash 8-200's. I had a quick glance at their website but could not find much info about the current fleet.
Studi, I'm not gonna go into the S.w.i.s.s. dirty politics. I've got a new (jet) job and I can't be bothered anymore. If operating costs are so important, why does S.w.i.s.s. not hire Air Atlanta to fly the long haul routes? I'm sure they would a lot cheaper than the Swissair 'Golden Boys' and they can get the job done just as safely, if not safer. Crossair has been good to me, and has provided me with a very good foundation to make the transition to jets with a well respected company. Crossair standards were high and my new employer acknowledges that, as there are a lot of my ex-colleagues flying here with excellent training records.
Feel free to click the "new topic" button and make sure you invite the 'usual suspects:' Skypointer, Robert Vesco, Middlepath, Ettore, N380UA, Few Cloudy, RRAAMJET, Leading edge etc.
I'm off to surf the Internet for a good bottle of Champagne for Swiss(air) grounding nr 2.
Studi, I'm not gonna go into the S.w.i.s.s. dirty politics. I've got a new (jet) job and I can't be bothered anymore. If operating costs are so important, why does S.w.i.s.s. not hire Air Atlanta to fly the long haul routes? I'm sure they would a lot cheaper than the Swissair 'Golden Boys' and they can get the job done just as safely, if not safer. Crossair has been good to me, and has provided me with a very good foundation to make the transition to jets with a well respected company. Crossair standards were high and my new employer acknowledges that, as there are a lot of my ex-colleagues flying here with excellent training records.
Feel free to click the "new topic" button and make sure you invite the 'usual suspects:' Skypointer, Robert Vesco, Middlepath, Ettore, N380UA, Few Cloudy, RRAAMJET, Leading edge etc.
I'm off to surf the Internet for a good bottle of Champagne for Swiss(air) grounding nr 2.
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Would there be money in say ERJ135s from the islands to LCY, FRA, ZRH etc. in business fit as a niche carrier rather than as part of a greater airline?
Kinda like Jetmagic but with more money and a single type fleet.
Kinda like Jetmagic but with more money and a single type fleet.
