SWISSAIR is planning to launch flights from Stansted this summer due to difficulties getting slots at Heathrow.
Up to three daily flights are planned to serve Swissair’s Zurich hub.
General manager UK and Ireland Kirk Albrow said a feasibility study was being carried out on Stansted which may also include the launch of Geneva flights. He said:”There are restricted slots at Heathrow for the summer.
“We are reviewing Stansted as there are decent slots there.”
Albrow said Swissair would be confined to adding just one daily Heathrow-Zurich flight in the summer to its current six-a- day schedule because of lack of slots. Heathrow-Geneva will remain at four daily flights.
Swissair needs to get the right timings for slots for its UK services as many passengers connect in Zurich onto long-haul flights. Stansted should provide these slots, unlike Heathrow.
The start of direct Zurich flights will give the Essex airport its first scheduled services to Switzerland, catering for business travellers and the leisure market, especially skiers.
Swissair’s launch of Stansted flights will also be the start of the Qualiflyer group of airlines making a concerted push into London’s ‘third’ airport.
Currently, only member Sabena is at Stansted serving Brussels. Albrow said Qualiflyer co-operation will increase. “We will be doing more to maximise the use of each other’s European hubs,” he said. The 10-airline strong Qualiflyer, which also includes Austrian Airlines, Crossair and Lauda Air, plans to open a joint call centre and a ticket office in April. These London-based operations will be overseen by a combined head office for sales and marketing cooperation.
Last year, the airlines moved to a dedicated area at Manchester Airport’s Terminal Two and Albrow said plans were underway for airport co-operation at Heathrow’s Terminal Two.