Wednesday, August 28, 2024 Swiss International Air Lines experienced a mix of outcomes during the 2024 summer holiday period. Thanks to a series of proactive measures implemented before the peak travel season, the airline managed to boost its punctuality rate to 64% year-to-date, an improvement compared to the same timeframe in 2023. This achievement was notable, considering SWISS handled about 8% more passengers this summer, from early July to mid-August.
However, despite these efforts, a greater number of SWISS passengers experienced disruptions this summer compared to last year, mainly due to external factors like severe thunderstorms, congestion in Europe’s air traffic control, and subsequent cascading delays. To mitigate the anticipated challenges of this year’s high travel demand, SWISS executed over 80 preparatory measures aimed at maintaining steady flight operations throughout the 2024 vacation season. By August 18, approximately 64% of SWISS flights had departed on schedule, marking a notable increase from the 61% punctuality rate recorded during the same period in the previous year.
Throughout the core summer holiday window—from the start of July to mid-August—SWISS flew over 2.8 million passengers, reflecting an 8% growth compared to 2023. The airline operated a total of 20,797 flights during this period, around 6% more than the 19,610 flights conducted in the corresponding span of 2023.
Increased Flights Lead to Higher Passenger and Baggage Volumes This s.