Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is cancelling 1,400 flights this summer due to a pilot shortage at the Lufthansa subsidiary.
The cancellations are reportedly being caused by “an unusually high number of long-term absences.” Capacity is also being held up by retraining pilots for the new Airbus A350.
The 1,400 flights make up about 1.5% of the total volume of the carrier’s flights between April and October.
According to reporting by SwissInfo.ch, the cancellations will impact long-haul, medium-haul, and short-haul services.
A new collective labor agreement with the airline’s union has also increased demand for staff by about 70 full-time positions due to reconfigured working time regulations.
With some older pilots delaying their retirement to ease the short-term burden on the carrier, SWISS reportedly plans to expand its cockpit training capacity and hire up to 110 new pilots a year.
Swiss’ parent company, Lufthansa Group, stated earlier this year that it aims to recruit around 10,000 new employees across various aviation professions in 2025. Of these new employees, around 800 pilots are expected to be brought onboard.
Over half of this recruitment is planned to take place in Germany, where Lufthansa is headquartered.
How many current pilots fly for Swiss International Air Lines
As of December 31, 2024, Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) employed 1,361 pilots, reflecting an increase from 1,279 pilots at the end of 2023. Women comprise just over 5% of the airline’s cockpit crew, with 13% of current pilot trainees being female.
The current fleet (as of March 2025)
| Aircraft Type | In Service | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Airbus A220-100 | 9 | Efficient regional jet for European routes |
| Airbus A220-300 | 21 | Larger variant of the A220 family |
| Airbus A320-200 | 11 | Mainstay of short-haul operations |
| Airbus A320neo | 9 | Features improved fuel efficiency and reduced noise |
| Airbus A321-100/200 | 6 | Deployed on high-demand medium-haul routes |
| Airbus A321neo | 4 | Offers increased capacity and range |
| Airbus A330-300 | 14 | Utilized for long-haul flights with premium comfort |
| Airbus A340-300 | 4 | Scheduled for replacement by Airbus A350-900 starting mid-2025 |
| Boeing 777-300ER | 12 | Flagship aircraft for ultra-long-haul routes |
Total: 90 aircraft
