“The Acquisition Chapter Is Closed”

Juerg Christen having taken over the mantle of country manager for India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan, Swiss International Air Lines, in an exclusive with Bhisham Mansukhani, talks about the airline’s future strategies for the Indian market

What are your plans for the airline?

A lot has happened in the last three years. In the first two years, we had to build back the airline and the team has done a very good job at that. We had flights out of Mumbai and Delhi and later on, we had some difficulties in the industry worldwide citing two key factors - the war in Iraq and SARS though it didn't affect India. Based on the experiences we had, we decided to restructure the airline, reducing our short-haul fleet and network in Europe and, proportionately, the long haul fleet. The process of downsizing of the airline is nearing completion. We are in the final stages and have a small premium class intercontinental airline, flying daily to and from Mumbai.

How important is the Indian market in the current context?

As a company, we lay great emphasis on the Indian market. We've seen this market grow and especially now, with a booming economy, it naturally follows that tourism will thrive as well. Swiss International Airlines has specifically prioritised its markets and India is high up on the list - probably in the top ten.

Are there no immediate commitments to increase capacity, comment?

Right now, we are in a position where we need to make the best out of the existing route. We have added a bit of capacity by introducing the newer Airbus A330 that has an increased capacity of 22 per cent. Coming to the future, right now we have a small long haul fleet that cannot support an increased frequency schedule in the near term but I won't rule out a return in the future to Delhi and perhaps even tap the Bangalore market which is a very lucrative one but these are goals, mid to long term. I won't put a date to it. Entering Bangalore will depend on when the long haul Airbus A340 becomes available.

Are there any product enhancements on the anvil?

On the product side, the A330 is a modern aircraft with enhanced capacity. The business class section is due for refurbishment and will receive flat beds. We want to offer quality in our area of strength - the long haul route. We have 48 in the business class and 182 in the economy. We have a clear strategy that excludes any need to acquire the A380. We use the A330 for medium range and A340s for the long range. The Swiss market is small. We'd rather have more aircraft that are relatively smaller so that we can service more routes.