“We expect it to develop”: Swiss operations chief criticizes queues at Zurich Airport

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Those who want to fly on vacation in the summer know the pictures. Traffic jams, queues and long waiting times at the airport. For example, after Ascension Day, where the queue at Zurich Airport is hundreds of meters long. Swiss Operations Manager Oliver Buchhofer (46) is also surprised by the long queues before the summer vacation. “We expect things to improve in the coming weeks and months,” he said in an interview with CH Media newspapers. The airport in Zurich is particularly important. “If Zurich doesn’t work, our entire system has Hitzgi.”

Still, Buchhofer doesn’t think summer will be chaos. “But whenever a lot of people travel, there can be longer wait times, that’s how it is.”

“At the upper limit” waiting times

According to Buchhofer in the CH-Media newspapers, the waiting time in Zurich is currently “at the upper limit”. He doesn’t find the 30-minute wait time bad.

There are several reasons for waiting times. One point security and passport control. But there are other stress tests for the airline, such as strikes. “About a third of our flights are currently affected by strikes. If there were no strikes, punctuality would be much better,” says Buchhofer.

More flight attendants

Strikes cost an average of a double-digit million each year. “Never in Swiss history have we had to cancel so many flights in the last twelve months due to strikes,” Buchhofer told CH Media newspapers.

In terms of staff, there is a glimmer of hope for Switzerland – they laid off too many flight attendants during Corona. “We employed 1,000 flight attendants last year alone.” (brother)

Source :Blick