SWISS in discussion to merge

[gofer]

On the 11am news CET today on Radio Basilisk that SWISS is negotiating with somebody to merge. Current favourite is LUFTHANSA.

Well at least that would put an end to the current pay disputes - but it would probably start new ones.... Though in a merger senority can be taken over !:{ :uhoh: :ooh: :ouch: :sad:

[AlfPrune]

if this happens, swiss would be downgraded to a feed airline.

two months ago, i would have said: wow, makes sense, as LH was in need for more longhaul equipment including crews. but as of today, LH would be happy if somebody would buy half of their fleet immediatley :)

as switzerland is not part of EU this merger seems to be too complicated. just think about national route agreements etc.

[In trim]

Ownership of a Swiss AOC would help, not harm these agreements. eJ have significant route advantages by having the separate Swiss AOC, and operate routes which I doubt they could with just the UK AOC.

[BigGreenPleasureMachine]

Didn't easyjet buy a swiss company? Surely that would suggest its not without the realms of possibility to acquire a non-eu company.

[Robert Vesco]

Here´s (http://www.sonntagszeitung.ch/sz/szUnterRubrik?rubrikid=118&ArtId=271703&msgid=1201#forum) the link ! Scroll to the top.

Thank you moderator for immediately moving this thread from the Rumours and News section again ! I guess this rumour is not worthy enough to be posted on the front page of PPRuNe. :(

[TopSwiss 737]

Yep, easyJet bought ailing charter airline TEA Switzerland a couple of years ago, saving a lot of jobs by creating easyJet Switzerland. They transferred the managment base from Basel to Geneva and closed the Zürich crewbase. Everything is now in Geneva; and we will be the A319 Guinea Pigs:} from September.
A major factor being we have our own AOC and it's much simpler to change the aircraft type on our relatively small fleet (5 a/c).:ok:

[middlepath]

Does that mean our next fight will be crossair + swiss air against LH pilot seniority list.

[Robert Vesco]

Originally posted by middlepath : Does that mean our next fight will be crossair + swiss air against LH pilot seniority list. No this would probably mean that the ex-SR pilots will say something like : "Look, we are much better pilots then you Lufti pilots and you would have gone bankrupt without us, therefore we will be at the top of the new seniority list !" :D :{ ;) :cool: :eek: :uhoh: :E

[middlepath]

are they going to say we are superior pilots becase our combined work force has the best safety record.

[N380UA]

The talks were with BA and LH. It appears as though BA has currently no interest as they are concentrating on their own survivability at the time.
“Lufti” has shown interest on a “merger” of Swiss, however not in its current status. The AOC, as mentioned earlier is no problem; on the contrary it may bear benefits. The problem, as I had understood them, was that the size of Swiss is as of yet way too large. The pilot dispute, the dual pilot’s corps is also an issue. Hence the suggestion that LH will wait until LX is down yet again so that the deal can be fitted to LH needs.

[Robert Vesco]

Hence the suggestion that LH will wait until LX is down yet again so that the deal can be fitted to LH needs. Exactly right N380UA ! LH is just waiting for the kill and a good Schnäppchen/bargain. Exept for our beloved management and some naive politicians, everybody knew that Swiss was way too big since the day it started.

The Swissair ´expertise´ of wasting money and running a company into bankruptcy will soon be just as legendary as it´s self proclaimed safety culture ! :{

[N380UA]

Too right Robert!!

Perhaps we ought to have a pint or two soon.:}

[Globaliser]

LH has got some major problems itself all over, not just in Europe. Last week's figures for Jan-Mar 2003 had:-

ASK +10.9% year on year
RPK +7.2%
PAX LF -2.4 points

and LH is reported to have declared "a state of crisis".

They may be interested, but I'd be surprised if they were in a position to do it at the moment.

[gofer]

Just like to add my thanks to the ever speedy moderators, and agree with Bob on this one.

The original post refers to a radio report - which by my understanding is rumour and news - and has absolutely nothing to do with facts. In fact it will not have anything to do with a fact until it actually happens.

OH, I get it, it didn't happen in Blighty so its not news... and rumours can only be posted by pilots, not SLF. - sorry guys, I do still have a British passport, though in the current world that is more dangerous than being anything else, except perhaps ah'Merrican.

As to the Swiss rumours - it's amaising just how much twaddle they do talk, as if they had an idea as to where the profits actually came from...

Watch this or any other PPrune spaces... :ok:

[finalschecks]

it's amaising just how I do still have a British passport ...
ok joke, hope you can take it... ;)

Anyway, I couldn't agree more, looks like the moderaters have a "press F1 to-move-this-thread-somewhere-completely-else-preferrably-oblivian" function on their keyboards.

Birdstrikes on stansted seem to be more important than major airlines merging or hundreds of people being laid off in CH:confused: :confused: :confused:

[Few Cloudy]

Must be the twentieth time in as many threads...

[FO Janeway]

Middlepath,
how about Ryanair/BUZZ?
Mo'L simply told buzz employees: If you don't like it, lump it!
Still can't believe your flipping arrogance, SR Guys!
Your company has now gone down the toilet for 10years, you managed to drag LX skillfully down with you, and now you dare to demand seniority in a completely unrelated list?
It beggars believe!!!

Sincerely yours, gobsmacked
FO Janeway

[Robert Vesco]

Never a dull (http://www.swiss.com/index/sw-nw-pr-press-releases-03.htm?newsid=21694) moment in this company... In Europe, temporary capacity reduction will be achieved by the selective use of smaller aircraft. Maybe this company finally starts to realize that firing the cheapest pilots and grounding the smallest aircraft is not really the best thing to do when demands drops. :hmm: For this reason, SWISS is temporarily reducing its capacity. Aha ! So it´s only "temporarily ?" Sure ! ;)