Swiss reports worse summer punctuality and more cancellations

Swiss ran 22,160 flights during the peak summer period and carried just under three million passengers, a drop of 3.4 percent from the same period last year, the airline said. Average on-time performance came in at 58.7 percent, with a flight stability rate of 97.1 percent.

The carrier also recorded a noticeably higher number of diversions and cancellations than the previous year. Chief Operating Officer Oliver Buchhofer acknowledged the season had placed heavy demands on staff and partners, thanking them for absorbing much of the disruption. He said the punctuality and stability figures fell short of the airline's own standards, and that Swiss did not consider the results acceptable. The airline recognizes where improvements are needed and intends to address them, Buchhofer added.

At Zurich Airport, passenger numbers moved the other way. July traffic rose 2.4 percent to just over 3.33 million. Departure punctuality across all airlines at the airport improved by five percentage points, to 56 percent.

Swiss and airport officials pointed to several factors behind the disruption: severe weather, airspace restrictions, and staffing shortages at European air traffic control providers. No specific incidents or safety events were cited in connection with the delays or cancellations.