Swiss airline, a Lufthansa subsidiary, is forced to scrap approximately 1400 flights during summer season.
Vacation Flights in Short Supply: Lufthansa's Swiss Subsidiary to Scrap 1400 Flights This Summer
Get ready for a bumpy ride, vacationers. The Swiss branch of Lufthansa, affectionately known as Swiss, has some not-so-great news. Due to a whopping pilot shortage, they're scrapping a staggering 1400 flights between April and October this year. Ouch! Don't be fooled by the increase in demand - homegrown issues are to blame.
The Swiss arm of Lufthansa is feeling the heat from a shortage of pilots. Number crunchers at the airline blame it on a series of unexpected curveballs and overly optimistic planning. Both long-haul and short/medium-haul flights are feeling the heat. Simon, a Swiss spokesperson, confirmed the news to industry insiders at "Aerotelegraph".
This leaves a sour taste in the mouth, as it represents about 1.5 percent of their flight plan. Strangely enough, more pilots than usual are out of commission, due to reasons such as pregnancies and accidents. Add to that the training of crews on the new Airbus A350, which ties up resources, and a new collective labor agreement with improved working time regulations that's boosted demand by around 70 full-time positions. Yikes!
To top it off, the maintenance of Airbus A220 jets due to engine problems only makes things worse. In an interview with a specialist portal, Swiss manager Oliver Buchhofer explained that while there are enough A320 medium-haul jets, there's a crew shortage. After trying and failing to tap partners and Lufthansa for assistance, it's time for the Swiss team to roll up their sleeves.
In the short term, they're relying on older pilots delaying their retirement and part-time workers stepping up their hours to help out. In the long run, Swiss has got a plan to increase their cockpit training capacity and bring on up to 110 new pilots each year. Cross those fingers!
- Pilot Shortage
- Lufthansa
- Airbus A350 Transition
Source: ntv.de, as/dpa
Insights:- Since the pandemic, the airline industry has been struggling to recover and catch up on training processes. This, in addition to increased demand and workforce constraints, has contributed to the pilot shortage.- Many pilots opted for early retirement during the pandemic, further reducing the available workforce.- The transition to new Airbus A350 aircraft requires additional training for pilots, which is time-consuming and limits available crew capacity.- The airline is experiencing an unusually high number of long-term absences due to reasons such as pregnancies and accidents.- A new collective labor agreement has improved working conditions but increased the need for staff, adding to the workforce constraints.
- The pilot shortage at Lufthansa's Swiss subsidiary, exacerbated by the increased demand, Airbus A350 transition, and long-term absences, has led to the cancellation of 1400 flights this summer, affecting their lifestyle and travel plans.
- To alleviate the pilot shortage, Lufthansa's Swiss branch is focusing on increasing their cockpit training capacity and bringing on up to 110 new pilots annually, while also relying on older pilots delaying retirement and part-time workers stepping up their hours in the short term.
