SWISSAIR IS CUTTING a further 1,200 jobs from its workforce in a bid to reduce costs. The redundancies come on top of the lay-off of 1,600 employees in September 1995.
The airline says that the move is part of a scheme to add a further SFr500 million ($415 million) to corporate profits by 1998. Costs per available seat kilometre are to be reduced from the current 11.2 centimes to 9 centimes.
The 1,200 new job cuts - 3% of Swissair's, work force of 40,000 - will be implemented, by the end of 1997. Swissair says that it hopes that many of the cuts will come through natural attrition, as well as a new scheme offering early retirement up to seven years before the statutory age.
Swissair also aims to increase fleet load factors from 65% to 70%, by organisational changes and improvements to product quality.
Swissair will also add a fifteenth McDonnell Douglas MD-11in 1997, and is planning further additions to its long-haul fleet.
Source: Flight International
