Swiss International Air Lines is struggling with a shortage of pilots. The problem is not a lack of recruits—its European Flight Academy in Solothurn is full, with about 100 trainees per intake—but a training backlog caused by the covid-19 pandemic, when courses were halted and only resumed in mid-2022.
Passenger demand has since surged, leaving the airline short of cockpit crew. This summer it scrapped 1,400 flights, around 1.5% of its schedule. This was announced in May 2025.
The company will not say how many pilots it lacks. But pilots’ unions warn that those still flying are stretched. Schedules are full, we are flying at 100%, but many colleagues tell us it’s too much, Clemens Kopetz, head of Aeropers, a Swiss pilots’ union told RTS. Pressure has prompted many to cut their hours: some 40% now work part-time, further tightening supply.
Swiss is recruiting externally but struggles to compete for experienced staff, especially for long-haul aircraft such as the Airbus A330. The firm says it has managed to fill posts on its short-haul A320 fleet, but the search continues. In the meantime it is relying on wet-leasing from other carriers to plug gaps, and hopes to avoid fresh cancellations this winter—a wet-leased aircraft is a plane that an airline rents from another operator with crew, maintenance and insurance included.
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