The Swiss president of VR does not believe that air traffic will normalize

Swiss president of VR does not think air traffic will normalize anytime soon

And air traffic? The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Airline Swiss, Reto Francioni, associates his hopes with intercontinental flights. For the summer, Switzerland assumes a traffic volume of 50 percent compared to the situation before the crisis, he said.

The decisive factor is the resumption of intercontinental connections, especially those of the United States, Francioni said in an interview with the “Neue Zürcher Zeitung.”

In March, Swiss was able to estimate what the reserves would be like for the summer of 2021. “If, contrary to expectations, the situation does not improve noticeably for the summer, we could not avoid layoffs either,” he added. “But we are confident that by then, instead of entry restrictions and quarantine regulations, rapid tests and vaccinations will bring safety to travelers again.”

Francioni confirmed, therefore, the previous statements, according to which 1,000 jobs will be eliminated within two years through hiring freezes and through fluctuations, part-time work and early retirement.

He does not see the Swiss business model, aimed at high-paying entrepreneurs, under pressure due to the increase in virtual meetings. “It is not a challenge per se for the business model, but rather how it is used and operated. But I also see it that way that we will not go back to where we started from before the crisis for a long time, but some of the business meetings will remain digital for now. “

Normal operation only from 2024

At the same time, Francioni dispels hopes for a rapid improvement in the aviation business. “We estimate that it will take until 2024 for normal operation,” he said. And the volume of traffic will likely remain lower than before the pandemic. The virus is unpredictable and flies “on sight, so to speak.”

Francioni rules out the possibility that the Swiss will have to call Bern again for financial assistance, “depending on the current state and planning.” However, negative surprises can never be completely ruled out. He expects that by the end of 2020, Switzerland still has more than 1 billion francs available from its 1.5 billion bank loan.

According to Francioni, a vaccination certificate for air travelers is currently not a problem for the Swiss. “It is the responsibility of the respective governments to issue entry regulations. Rapid Corona tests would be an important measure for us in a transition phase. “International harmonization would also be essential, at least within Europe.” This would speed up the recovery. “(Sda / awp)