Recently, an increasing number of our citizens prefer to vacation at domestic resorts. Some, following the old tradition, go to Crimea, others go to the Zatoka resorts, still others turn their gaze to near and far abroad. Therefore, the interest that our compatriots show in the Swiss destination is not surprising. To obtain the most reliable information, our correspondent met with the general manager of SWISS in Ukraine, Andreas Elmiger.
- Mr. Elmiger, what are the reasons for the changes in the company you represent?
- They are directly related to the current situation in the aviation business and the economy as a whole. The result of well-known events - the SARS epidemic and the war in Iraq - was that we (like, incidentally, airlines around the world) suffered significant losses. In addition to the noticeable decline in the number of passengers using air transport, there were also economic problems caused by stagnant development in both Europe and North America. All this, naturally, adversely affected our financial results for the first half of the year. Therefore, management decided to restructure and reorganize SWISS.
- What exactly will be done and what are the consequences of this decision for Ukraine?
- To return to positive results and again achieve acceptable growth dynamics, management intends first of all to reduce the fleet. Now the aircraft fleet will consist of 79 aircraft. Of course, this will entail the closure of some routes. Thus, according to the new plan, in Europe SWISS will have 41 routes out of the current 56, that is, the airline is forced to abandon service to 15 destinations. To our great regret, among them will be Kiev, which was our only destination in Ukraine. By the way, some reorganization in SWISS had already taken place in winter. And some flights had already been reduced. But this was not as large-scale as it is now. At the same time, all changes regarding Ukraine will occur only with the start of the winter schedule, that is, from October 26. We will fully complete the summer period.
- Will the office in Kiev be closed?
- At present, we have not yet received a final decision from our management on this issue. But most likely, the Kiev office will also be closed.
- So, the summer schedule for this year will remain unchanged?
- Yes. And I want to note that before these unforeseen circumstances occurred, SWISS's presence in the Ukrainian market had a steady tendency to expand. For example, if last year we had four flights from Kiev, then from the end of October 2002, SWISS's own flights became five, plus three flights jointly with “Ukraine International Airlines”.
- So, the last flight will take place...
- According to the plan, the last flight Kiev - Zurich will be operated on October 25.
- Which other destinations are the “Swiss Airlines” abandoning?
- Among the most notable - Oslo, Graz, Valencia, Zagreb, Ljubljana, Pristina, Sofia, Krakow and Skopje.
- Didn't this affect Moscow?
- In no way. At present, we operate two flights a day from Zurich and one from Geneva. In the near future, no changes are expected on this route.
Believe me, we are extremely saddened by the decision taken, which we can only carry out. As for me personally, I am very upset for my Kiev colleagues and employees and hope that they will all find worthy use for their high qualifications in the future. We worked excellently with our local partners, in particular with various travel agencies, which proved to be very reliable and qualified colleagues. An exceptionally high level of mutual understanding was also established with a wide range of state authorities, thanks to which the company felt as comfortable as possible in Ukraine. We hope that these highly favorable working relationships will continue in the future. Personally, having spent more than a year in Kiev, I part with it with particular sadness. I would very much like to stay here longer.
- Is there a chance that SWISS will return by next summer?
- One can only assume. Everything will depend on how the economy develops and how much the situation for the aviation business improves.