Nearly half of Swiss’s European flights this summer will be operated by partner airlines, a significant increase driven by a combination of staff shortages and technical issues, according to reports in the Swiss press.
Approximately 44 percent of the airline’s European flight schedule will be covered by wet-lease agreements with Helvetic Airways, Air Baltic, and Edelweiss, the SonntagsZeitung reported on Sunday. This represents a substantial rise from around one-third of flights operated by partners during the same period last year.
Swiss attributes the increased reliance on partner airlines to a shortage of pilots and ongoing problems with aircraft engines, which have grounded several of its own planes. The airline has also retired older aircraft and received fewer new jets than initially planned, exacerbating the capacity shortfall.
While Swiss maintains that the wet-lease arrangements are solely a response to operational challenges, Lufthansa, its parent company, views the practice as a cost-saving measure. The SonntagsZeitung reported that Swiss has been tasked with implementing a cost-reduction program worth several hundred million Swiss francs annually.
Despite being the most profitable subsidiary within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss is facing pressure to reduce expenses. However, a Swiss spokesperson dismissed any connection between the wet-lease agreements and cost-cutting measures, stating, “The assertion or assumption that wet-lease is a cost-saving measure or economic strategy is simply false.” Swiss Chief Operating Officer Oliver Buchhofer previously stated in 2022 that a wet-lease flight is not financially beneficial for the airline.
Helvetic Airways, a Swiss regional airline headquartered in Kloten, operates a fleet of 22 Embraer 190 and Embraer 190-E2 aircraft and serves 34 destinations. The airline was established in 2003 as a rebranding of Odette Airways and currently employs around 400 people. It operates flights on its own behalf and also provides scheduled flights for Swiss International Air Lines and Lufthansa. The partnership between Swiss and Helvetic Airways has been in place since 2007, following Helvetic’s IOSA certification.
In February 2026, Helvetic Airways will have approximately 600 staff, including flight and cabin crew, maintenance personnel, and administrative staff, according to the airline’s website.
