Swissair collapse left thousands stranded 25 years ago

Swissair became insolvent 25 years ago, leaving thousands of passengers stranded around the world, SRF reports. Two former employees recall what the airline meant to them and how it fell.

Ernst Frei, a former pilot who logged more than 14,000 hours in Swissair cockpits, said the airline aimed to be better and safer than its competitors. Gabriela Good, who worked as a flight attendant for six years, said Swissair represented Switzerland abroad.

Good remembers working for the airline as a privilege and said staff were treated with respect. Men and women had equal standing and were paid the same, she recalled.

Swissair’s fortunes declined after the liberalisation of Europe’s aviation market. Because Switzerland did not join the European Economic Area, many European routes could only be operated in partnership with European airlines. From the 1990s, Swissair pursued growth by buying stakes in other carriers, taking on heavy debt. The so-called Hunter strategy brought the company close to collapse.

The group’s debt, combined with a worldwide downturn in aviation after the September 11, 2001 attacks, sealed the airline’s fate. On October 3, the day after the grounding, the entire Swissair fleet remained on the ground. Tens of thousands of passengers were stranded, including at Zurich Airport.

Six years later, 19 former executives of Swissair and its parent company SAirGroup, including chief executive Mario Corti, were acquitted on all charges.