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{{Short description|Defunct national airline of Switzerland (1931–2002)}}
{{About|the defunct airline in Switzerland|the current airline|Swiss International Air Lines|the asteroid|2138 Swissair}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline = Swissair<br /> {{small|{{lang|de|Schweizerische Luftverkehr-[[Aktiengesellschaft|AG]]}}<br />{{lang|fr|[[S.A. (corporation)|S.A.]] Suisse pour la Navigation Aérienne}} }}
| logo = Swissair logo.svg
| logo_size = 250
| image = Swissair Boeing 747-357 and McDonnell Douglas MD-11 at Dock A in Zurich-Kloten (LBS SR04-000901).tif
| destinations = 
| headquarters = [[Kloten]], [[canton of Zürich|Zürich]], [[Switzerland]]
| IATA = SR
| ICAO = SWR
| callsign = SWISSAIR
| founded = {{start date|1931|03|26|df=yes}}
| ceased =  {{end date|2002|03|31|df=yes}}<br />{{small|(operations transferred to [[Crossair]], which later became [[Swiss International Air Lines]])}}
| key_people = {{bulleted list|
  | [[Mario Corti (manager)|Mario Corti]] ([[Chief executive officer|CEO]])
  | Reto Francioni ([[Chairman]])}}
| hubs = {{ubl|
  | {{nowrap|[[EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg|Basel/Mulhouse]]}}
  | {{nowrap|[[Geneva Airport|Geneva]]}}
  | {{nowrap|[[Zurich Airport|Zürich]]}}}}
| focus_cities = 
| frequent_flyer = [[Qualiflyer]]
| alliance = [[Qualiflyer|The Qualiflyer Group]]
| subsidiaries = {{ubl|
  | {{nowrap|[[Belair (airline)|Balair]] {{small|(1993–2001)}}}}
  | {{nowrap|[[Crossair]] {{small|(1978–2002)}}}}
  | {{nowrap|[[Swissair Asia]] {{small|(1995–2001)}}}}}}
| parent = {{nowrap| Swissair Group (SAirGroup) }}
| fleet_size = 
| website = 
}}

'''Swissair''' (<small>[[German language|German]]:</small> '''Schweizerische Luftverkehr-AG'''; <small>[[French language|French]]</small>: '''S.A. Suisse pour la Navigation Aérienne''', stylised as '''swissair''')<ref>"World Airline Directory." ''[[Flight International]]''. 28 March-3 April 2000. [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/2000/2000%20-%200974.html].</ref> was the [[Flag carrier|national airline]] of Switzerland between its founding in 1931 and bankruptcy in 2002.

Swissair was formed from a merger between [[Belair (airline)|Belair]] and [[Ad Astra Aero]].<ref>{{cite web | title=About Swissair Facts and Figures | url=http://www.swissair.com/aboutus/swissair/facts.htm| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990219220801/http://www.swissair.com/aboutus/swissair/facts.htm | publisher=Swissair | year=1999 |archive-date=1999-02-19 | access-date=2008-08-30}}</ref> For most of its 71 years, it was one of the major international airlines and known as the "Flying Bank" due to its financial stability, causing it to be regarded as a Swiss [[national symbol]] and icon. It was headquartered at [[Zurich Airport]], [[Kloten]].

In 1997, the Swissair Group was renamed SAirGroup (although it was again renamed Swissair Group in 2001), with four subdivisions: SAirLines (to which Swissair, regional subsidiaries [[Crossair]] and Balair, and leasing subsidiary FlightLease belonged), SAirServices, SAirLogistics, and SAirRelations.

Due to its so-called "Hunter Strategy" of expanding its market by acquiring smaller airlines, Swissair was suffering from over-expansion by the late 1990s. The crash of [[Swissair Flight 111]] in 1998, which killed all 229 people on board, generated a costly lawsuit and negative publicity for the airline. After the economic downturn following the [[September 11 attacks]], Swissair's assets dramatically lost value, grounding the already-troubled airline in October 2001.<ref>Hermann, A., & Rammal, H. G. (2010). The grounding of the "flying bank". ''Management Decision'', 48(7), 1048–62.</ref> The airline was later revived and kept alive until 31 March 2002 by the Swiss Federal Government. The final Swissair flight landed in Zürich from São Paulo on 1 April 2002.

On 1 April 2002, a former regional subsidiary [[Crossair]] renamed itself [[Swiss International Air Lines]] and took over most of Swissair's routes, [[airplane|planes]], and staff. Swissair Group still exists and has since been liquidated.{{clarify|date=August 2024}} Swiss International Air Lines was taken over by the German airline [[Lufthansa]] in 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/695792/fromItemId/751043 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110622000453/http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/695792/fromItemId/751043 |archive-date=2011-06-22 |title=Lufthansa – proposed acquisition of Swiss International Air Lines – Australian Competition Commission |website=accc.gov.au}}</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Mittelholzer-fokker.jpg|thumb|200px|Swissair [[Fokker F.VII]]b-3 m (CH-192) piloted by [[Walter Mittelholzer]] in [[Kassala]] (Sudan), February 1934]]

=== Founding years ===
On 26 March 1931, Swissair – Schweizerische Luftverkehr [[Aktiengesellschaft|AG]] (English: ''Swissair – Swiss Air Transport'') was founded through the fusion of the airlines [[Ad Astra Aero]] (founded in 1919) and [[Balair]] (1925). Balz Zimmermann and the Swiss aviation pioneer [[Walter Mittelholzer]] were the founding fathers. In contrast to other airlines, it did not receive support from the government. The name "Swissair" was the proposal of Dr Alphonse Ehinger, president of the directorial board of Balair, although "Swissair" was first deemed "un-Swiss". In the first operational year, 64 people were employed, including ten pilots, seven radio operators, and eight mechanics. Their planes offered 85 seats, and operation was maintained only from March to October. The route network had a length of {{convert|4203|km|mi}}.

[[File:Swissairlogo40.png|thumb|The first Swissair logo]]

On 17 April 1932, Swissair bought two [[Lockheed Model 9 Orion|Lockheed Orion]]s, making them the second European airline to use American planes after the Czechoslovak operator [[Czech Airlines|CSA]] purchased a Ford Trimotor in 1930. The Orion was the fastest commercial aeroplane of its time and was put to use on the "Express Line", [[Zürich]]-[[Munich]]-[[Vienna]]. This led [[Deutsche Luft Hansa|Lufthansa]] to ask [[Heinkel]] for a model that could top Orion's speed, leading to the [[Heinkel He 70 Blitz|Heinkel He 70]]. The first trans-Alpine route was introduced in 1933: Zürich-[[Milan]].

For the first time in Europe, flight attendants were employed aboard the [[Curtiss T-32 Condor II|Curtiss Condor]] beginning in 1934. [[Nelly Diener]], the first flight attendant in Europe, became world-famous. She was killed after just 79 flights in a crash near Wurmlingen, Germany, on 27 July 1934. The cause of the crash was [[Fatigue (material)|material fatigue]].

In 1936, [[Douglas DC-2]]s were acquired, and London was added to the route network. In 1937, the bigger [[Douglas DC-3]] was bought. In the same year, both founding fathers died: Walter Mittelholzer died while [[mountaineering]] in [[Steiermark]], Austria, and Balz Zimmermann succumbed to an infectious disease.

[[File:Erster Direktflug London - Samedan mit der Douglas DC-2-115-D, HB-ISI 1938.jpg|thumb|A Swissair DC-2. They would become a very loyal customer of Douglas, buying most of their commercial aircraft models.]]

On 27 August 1939, days before World War II broke out, the airspace over Germany and France was closed. Swissair was forced to suspend service to Amsterdam, Paris, and London. Two days later, the Swissair service was closed completely. Of 180 employees, 131 had to serve in the army. Despite the war, some routes were later re-introduced, such as Munich, [[Berlin]], [[Rome]], and [[Barcelona]]. In 1940, an invasion of Switzerland was feared, and Swissair moved their operations to the [[Magadino]] Plains in [[Ticino]]. Operations were suspended in August 1944, when a Swissair DC-2 was destroyed in [[Stuttgart]] during an American bombing raid.

On 30 July 1945, Swissair was able to resume commercial aviation.<ref name="Keimzelle">This section was translated from the article "Swissair" in the German-language Wikipedia, version [http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Swissair&oldid=57102269]</ref>

=== Ascension ===
[[File:Swissair-Aktie von 1947.jpg|left|thumb|Swissair share, issued 17 April 1947]]
[[File:Convair 240 HB-IRV Swiss Air Lines Ringway 25.03.50.jpg|thumb|A Swiss Air Lines Convair 240 at [[Manchester Airport]], England, in March 1950]]
[[File:SR DC3.jpg|thumb|200px|A Swissair Douglas DC-3 in the 1950s]]
[[File:Douglas DC-6B HB-IBE Swissair Ringway 30.07.54 edited-2.jpg|thumb|right|A Douglas DC-6B at Manchester Airport in 1954]]

In 1947, the rise of shareholder capital to {{FXConvert|CHE|20|m|cursign={{CHF|link=yes}}|year=1947|showdate=no|index=CH}} enabled long-haul flights to New York, South Africa, and South America with [[Douglas DC-4]]s. The modern [[Convair CV-240 family|Convair 240]], the first Swissair plane with a pressurised cabin, was used for short and medium-range flights starting in late 1948. The first Swissair DC-4 flight to New York was routed via [[Shannon Airport|Shannon]], Ireland, and [[Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador|Stephenville, Newfoundland]], on 2 May 1947. However, it ended in [[Washington, D.C.]], due to fog at New York's [[LaGuardia Airport]]. The total elapsed time was 20 hours and 55 minutes.

[[File:Swissair98.jpg|thumb|The former Swissair logo]]

The public, including the federal government, cantons, municipalities, the Swiss Federal Railways, and the Swiss postal services, took over 30.6% of the shares and enabled Swissair to get a credit of 15&nbsp; million Swiss Francs to purchase the airline's first two [[Douglas DC-6]]B airliners for delivery in 1951. By that act, Swissair became Switzerland's national [[flag carrier]]. The new pressurised aircraft was to replace the DC-4 on transatlantic routes.

In 1948, the airport in Dübendorf, which had served as the base of Swissair, was relocated to Zürich-Kloten. Military aviation continued in Dübendorf. The next year, Swissair plunged into a financial crisis due to a sudden devaluation of the British pound because fares, except for traffic to the United States, were calculated in British currency. At that time, traffic to England made up 40 per cent of Swissair's revenue.

In June 1950, Walter Berchtold, manager of Swiss Federal Railways, was elected to the directorial board of Swissair and served as the director. In 1971, he created the corporate culture of Swissair. He grasped the importance of corporate image and corporate identity and after the example of [[British Overseas Airways Corporation|BOAC]]'s "[[Speedbird]]", he introduced the arrow-shaped Swissair logo. Giving flight personnel a distinct uniform was also an important move. At the time, flight attendants' uniforms resembled the grey-blue ones of the Swiss [[Women's Army Corps]], so Berchtold introduced ones in a modish marine blue. Swissair initiated a veritable fashion competition among European airlines.

{{Rail freight
|float=left
|title=Revenue passenger-kilometers, scheduled flights only, in millions
|1950|147
|1955|465
|1960|1138
|1965|2436
|1971|5001
|1975|7562
|1980|10831
|1985|12609
|2000|34246
|source=ICAO Digest of Statistics for 1950–55, IATA World Air Transport Statistics 1960–2000
}}
[[File:SR DC7.jpg|thumb|left|Douglas DC-7C (1957)]]

In 1952, the cabin layout on northern trans-Atlantic routes was changed to one with a first and a tourist (economy) class. The first-class cabin had comfortable chairs in which one could sleep, given the name "Slumberettes". Those sleeping chairs were soon succeeded by beds, modelled after the US [[Pullman (car or coach)|Pullman railway cars]]. Two adjacent seats were moved towards each other and formed a lower berth. The wall panel could be folded downward, forming the upper berth in which the other person could sleep. A year later, a [[Economy class|tourist class]] cabin was introduced on intra-European flights.

In 1953, Swissair, with the city of [[Basel]], founded a charter company called [[Belair (airline)|Balair]], reusing the name of one of its predecessors, a company that initially used older Swissair aircraft to fly to holiday destinations.

As the first European customer, Swissair bought the [[Douglas DC-7]]C which enabled the company to provide non-stop flights to the United States. For shorter-range routes, the [[Convair Metropolitan]] was used.

In 1957, the [[Far East]] was added to the route network. Direct flights to [[Tokyo]] had intermediate stops in [[Athens]], [[Karachi]], [[Mumbai|Bombay]], [[Bangkok]] and [[Manila]]. That same year, Swissair helped [[Aristotle Onassis]] form the new Greek airline, [[Olympic Airways]].

While competitors first looked at [[turboprop]] aeroplanes to replace their piston-engined craft, Swissair introduced jet aeroplanes. Together with SAS, Swissair bought [[Douglas DC-8]]s, which were delivered beginning in 1960. For medium and short-range routes, the [[Sud Aviation Caravelle]] was purchased. The aircraft were maintained in concert with SAS, and manuals for operation and maintenance were co-written.

[[File:Douglas DC-8-62 HB-IDE SWR ZRH 22.04.79 edited-2.jpg|thumb|right|[[Douglas DC-8|Douglas DC-8-62]] of Swissair at Zurich Airport in 1979. The DC-8 series served the airline from 1960.]]
[[File:Convair 990A HB-ICC Swissair Ringway 07.64 edited-3.jpg|thumb|Swissair Convair Coronado 990A (1962–1975)]]

Swissair was one of the few companies to order the [[Convair 990 Coronado]] for its medium and long-range routes. Although the aircraft did not initially fulfil contractual specifications, they were liked by employees and customers. They operated on the airline's routes to South America, West Africa, and the Middle and Far East.

1966 saw the introduction of the [[McDonnell Douglas DC-9|Douglas DC-9]]. That aircraft became the backbone of the short and medium-range routes, and, after convincing [[Douglas Aircraft Company|Douglas]], which soon merged with [[McDonnell Aircraft Corporation|McDonnell Aircraft]] to create [[McDonnell Douglas]], ultimately merged with [[Boeing]], offered a stretched variant: the DC-9-32. For the first time, Swissair was the launch customer of an aircraft type.

In 1971, Armin Baltensweiler took over as president of the directorial board and ran the enterprise for over two decades. In the same year, the first [[Boeing 747|Boeing 747-200]] jumbo jet was acquired, and in the next year, the first McDonnell Douglas [[DC-10-30]] followed. Both types shaped the long-haul fleet until the 1990s. Again, the specifications of both aircraft were developed in collaboration with SAS. Also in 1972, Switzerland introduced a prohibition of night flights, which led to the cessation of cheaper night fares.

[[File:Swissair Boeing 747-200 Marmet.jpg|thumb|Swissair Boeing 747-200B (1971)]]
[[File:Swissair McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 HB-IHH "Basel-Stadt" (26090378125).jpg|thumb|Swissair McDonnell Douglas DC-10 (1972)]]

In 1973, the company struggled with severe turbulence: a currency crisis, collective chaos, an air traffic controllers' strike, the [[Yom Kippur War|October War]] and the [[1973 oil crisis|first oil crisis]] were weathered without significant damage. In the same year, the regional representative of Swissair in [[Buenos Aires]] was kidnapped by the [[Montoneros]]. After 38 days in captivity, he was released after the payment of {{FXConvert|CHE|12350714.15|cursign={{CHF|link=no}}|year=1973|showdate=no|index=CH}} ransom.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lüchinger |first1=René |title=Secret negotiations in Argentina freed Swissair executive in 1973 |url=https://www.nzz.ch/english/secret-negotiations-in-argentina-freed-swissair-executive-in-1973-ld.1653226 |access-date=1 November 2023 |work=[[Neue Zürcher Zeitung]] |date=3 November 2021 }}</ref> The airline also phased out the CV-990s during that time.

Swissair was the second European airline to offer service to the [[People's Republic of China]], introducing service to [[Beijing]] and [[Shanghai]] in 1975. In the same year, Swissair was the launch customer for the DC-9-51. In 1977, Swissair was the launch customer for the third DC-9 type, the DC-9-81 variant, now called the MD-80. Armin Baltensweiler had travelled to a meeting of the McDonnell-Douglas directorial board in St. Louis to convince them to further stretch the fuselage of the DC-9-51. Baltensweiler was called the "Father of the MD-80". In 1979, Swissair was the first company to order the [[Airbus A310]] and the jumbo jet variant with a stretched upper deck, the [[Boeing 747-300]]. Later on, the [[Fokker 100]] short-range aircraft and the three-engined [[McDonnell Douglas MD-11|MD-11]] were aircraft for which Swissair was the launch customer. 1983 saw the replacement of the older DC-9s with MD-83s.

Since the 1960s, Swissair has been a world leader in the development of cargo reservation systems (CRS). [[Programmed Airline Reservation System|PARS]] and [[CARIDO]] were examples of systems enabling the booking of passenger seats and freight space.<ref name="Keimzelle" />

=== "The flying bank" ===
[[File:SR Caravelle.jpg|thumb|Sud Aviation Caravelle (1961)]]

After the 1960s, air traffic increased quickly and allowed many airlines—many of which were [[monopoly|quasi-monopolists]] on their routes—to yield high revenues. Swissair profited from its well-established reputation as a quality airline and from the fact that the political neutrality of Switzerland allowed the company to fly to exotic and lucrative destinations in Africa, the Middle East, South America and the Far East. In geographic terms, the central position of Switzerland in Europe helped it generate revenue from transfer passengers. By the early 1970s, Swissair was becoming known as "the flying bank", appealing to the large [[hidden asset]]s and the huge liquidity Swissair had. Second, "flying bank" was the designation for a corporate group that cared more about financial management than about flying aeroplanes.<ref name="Keimzelle" />

With the beginning of deregulation and liberalisation in the late 1970s, airlines felt growing financial pressure. In 1978, [[Moritz Suter]] founded a regional airline named [[Crossair]], which put Swissair under additional stress. To counter these changes, Swissair invested their large financial reserves into [[takeover]]s and into flight-related trades like baggage handling, catering, aircraft maintenance, and duty-free stores. This strategy diversified economic risks at the expense of the core business of Swissair: commercial aviation.

Due to a 12-day global flight ban for the DC-10 imposed by the US [[Federal Aviation Administration]] after the crash of [[American Airlines Flight 191]] on 25 May 1979, a sizable portion of the long-haul fleet was on the ground. On October 7, after landing in Athens, [[Swissair Flight 316|a DC-8 overran the runway and caught fire]], killing 14 passengers. [[1979 oil crisis|By the end of that year, kerosene prices had doubled]], and fuel costs had increased from 12% to 16% of total costs. Swissair was the first to order the [[Airbus A310]] designed with a two-man cockpit for more traffic-tight short distances and on shorter medium distances, and accepted options for 10 more units. Another Boeing 747 was ordered. Dublin was added to the route network as a new destination, but service to Beirut had to be discontinued in mid-July due to the political turmoil in Lebanon.

Swissair was able to outperform the competition in a year that experts deemed to be the worst in the history of civil aviation. In contrast to other airlines, which began to offer a second-tier [[Business class|executive class]], the proven cabin division into first and economy classes was maintained. The short-haul fleet was renewed with the [[MD-81]] (DC-9-81) introduction. This type of aircraft partially replaced the older and smaller DC-9. In addition, modern, fuel-saving aircraft, such as five new Boeing 747s with extended upper decks and two DC-10-30s with a longer range, were ordered. With the connection of Zurich Airport to the national railway network, bus delivery services from Zürich were discontinued. Air passengers were already able to check their luggage at the rail station. The route network was expanded with service to Jakarta, but flights to Tehran and Baghdad had to be suspended after the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war. By the end of 1980, Swissair was represented in 196 cities. New representations or points of sale were opened in Luxembourg, Ulm, Ottawa, Raleigh, Westchester, Valparaíso, Jubil, Sanaa, and Salisbury/Harare. Under the name [[Swissôtel]], the [[Hotel President Wilson|hotels Président]] in Geneva, [[Swissôtel Zürich|International]] in Zürich, [[Drake Hotel (New York City)|Drake]] in New York, and [[Hotel Bellevue Palace|Bellevue Palace]] in Bern were administratively combined.

=== Concentration ===
[[File:Swissair Boeing 747-300 at Zurich Airport in May 1985 version2.jpg|thumb|Boeing 747-300 (1985)]]
[[File:Swissair_A310-221_HB-IPA.jpg|thumb|Airbus A310-200 (1983)]]
[[File:131bf - Swissair Airbus A321-111; HB-IOE@ZRH;11.05.2001 (5588353622).jpg|thumb|Airbus A321-100 (2001)]]
[[File:103ar_-_Swissair_MD-11;_HB-IWS@ZRH;11.08.2000_(4704216519).jpg|thumb|[[McDonnell Douglas MD-11]] (2000)]]

Regarding further liberalisation of Europe's airline market, Swissair focused more on commercial aviation and extended its partnerships. As the first European airline to do so, Swissair signed in 1989 a cooperation treaty with [[Delta Air Lines]] and [[Singapore Airlines]] to create the alliance "Global Excellence". In 1990, together with SAS, [[Austrian Airlines]] and [[Finnair]], the "European Quality Alliance" was founded. The last alliance was later renamed "The [[Qualiflyer]] Group".

Because of the weak economy, the [[Gulf War]] and its aftermath, and rising operational costs, many airlines lost money in 1990 and 1991. Additionally, the ongoing liberalisation of the industry strengthened competition. Consequently, Swissair lost 99&nbsp;million Swiss Francs in the first half-year and could not pay dividends to its shareholders. In 1991 and 1992, Swissair had to utilise financial reserves to cushion significant losses from the commercial aviation sector.

On 1 January 1991, commercial aviation in Europe was completely liberalised, and existing capacities led to aggressive competition among airlines. In a national referendum held on 6 December 1992, Swiss citizens rejected taking part in the [[European Economic Area]] (EEA). This referendum was a significant disservice to Swissair, an airline with a tiny domestic market: its planes were not allowed to take up passengers during intermediate landings in EEA countries (e.g., Zürich-Frankfurt-New York), and Swissair was not allowed to offer tickets for sections that fully lie in EEA member countries (e.g., Zürich-Frankfurt-Paris).<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last1=Hamilton |first1=Stewart |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/ocm64390595 |title=Greed and corporate failure: the lessons from recent disasters |last2=Micklethwait |first2=Alicia |date=2006 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-1-4039-8636-8 |location=Basingstoke [England] ; New York |page= |chapter=Swissair: Crashed and Burned |oclc=ocm64390595}}</ref>

''See also [[freedoms of the air]]''.

Like other airlines based in smaller countries, Swissair was now under significant pressure. More and more national airlines have affiliated themselves with airline alliances to maintain a worldwide market presence. But to be interesting for American alliance partners, an airline must have a critical size in terms of passenger numbers. To meet that goal, in 1993, an alliance between Swissair, KLM, SAS, and Austrian Airlines was proposed. This project bore the name "[[Alcazar (airline)|Alcazar]]" to create a single Central European airline. However, in various countries, this project was criticised. In Switzerland itself, it was thought that the huge financial assets were too precious to sacrifice to merge Swissair with the other airlines.<ref name="Keimzelle" /><ref name=":1" />

===Hunter Strategy===
[[File:SAirGroup.png|thumb|300px|Logos of the firms belonging to the SAirGroup]]

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Swissair tried to merge with [[Air France]], [[Lufthansa]], and [[British Airways]] to get access to a wider European market. Finally, after deregulation, Swissair tried to expand beyond its home market; after the Alcazar project was cancelled, Swissair aimed to be a major force in European aviation.

In the mid-1990s, Swissair initiated the disastrous "Hunter Strategy", a major expansion programme devised by the US consulting firm [[McKinsey & Company|McKinsey & Co]]. Using this strategy, Swissair aimed to grow its market share by acquiring small airlines rather than entering into alliance agreements. Swissair decided to acquire 49.5 per cent of the very successful Italian charter airline Air Europe, the unprofitable [[Belgium|Belgian]] flag carrier [[Sabena]], and significant stakes in the carriers [[Air Liberté]], [[AOM French Airlines|AOM]], [[Air Littoral]], [[C.A.I. Second|Volare]], [[LOT Polish Airlines|LOT]], [[Turkish Airlines]], [[South African Airways]], [[Portugália Airlines|Portugália]] and [[LTU International|LTU]], and planned to acquire stakes in [[Aer Lingus]], [[Finnair]], [[Malév Hungarian Airlines|Malév]], as well as Brazilian carriers [[LATAM Airlines Brasil|TAM]] and [[Transbrasil]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Swissair gets purchase approval|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Swissair+gets+purchase+approval.-a061544648|access-date=30 August 2012|newspaper=Airline Industry Information|date=17 April 2000}}</ref> By mid-2000, it was predicted that Swissair would lose between {{FXConvert|CHE|3.25|b|year=2000|index=CH|showdate=no|cursign={{CHF|link=no}}}} and {{FXConvert|CHE|4.45|b|year=2000|index=CH|showdate=no|cursign={{CHF|link=no}}}} over the next three fiscal years. The management, however, maintained classical restructuring,{{clarify|date=May 2023}} and the Board approved the reorganisation of LTU for approximately {{FXConvert|CHE|500|m|year=2000|index=CH|showdate=no|cursign={{CHF|link=no}}}}. Also, there were plans to take over [[Alitalia]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hollingdale |first1=Michael |date=19 September 2000 |title=Alitalia reportedly in alliance talks with Swissair |language=en |work=[[swissinfo]] |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/alitalia-reportedly-in-alliance-talks-with-swissair/1665302 |access-date=29 June 2023}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

In October 1999, [[Delta Air Lines]] cancelled its transatlantic Atlantic Excellence alliance with Swissair and [[Sabena]], citing the desire to partner with [[Air France]] instead.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=1999-10-13 |title=Swissair, Delta, Sabena, Austrian end trans-Atlantic alliance |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/banking-fintech/swissair-delta-sabena-austrian-end-trans-atlantic-alliance/1366722 |access-date=2024-07-07 |website=swissinfo |language=en-GB}}</ref>

During the European airline deregulation transition, [[Jeffrey Katz (executive)|Jeffrey Katz]] served as CEO of Swissair from 1997 to 2000, a period of increased fuel prices and industry [[overcapacity]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=swissinfo.ch |first=S. W. I. |date=2000-07-06 |title=Swissair considers future after Katz blow |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/banking-fintech/swissair-considers-future-after-katz-blow/1556544 |access-date=2024-02-22 |website=SWI swissinfo.ch |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In the summer of 2000, SAir's CEO Philippe Bruggisser came under public pressure as the press published the group's financial situation. Swissair and Sabena were each losing one million francs per day, and another million were lost every day at LTU and the French investments. For the first time, the board began to consider scenarios for phasing out its existing participation in other airlines as Swissair looked to withdraw from its foreign investments.<ref name="nytimes">{{cite news|last1=Olson|first1=Elizabeth|title=Chief Steps Down at Parent of Swissair|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/24/business/chief-steps-down-at-parent-of-swissair.html|access-date=17 August 2017|work=The New York Times|date=24 January 2001}}</ref> In January 2001, Bruggisser was summarily dismissed. Moritz Suter, the founder of Crossair, was nominated as the new CEO of SAirLines and thus all Group airlines, including Swissair. After only 44 days in charge, Suter resigned.<ref name="nytimes" /><ref name=":1" />

In March 2001, two studies by consultants were presented to the board, which showed the financial difficulties of SAirGroup. At this point, the directors resigned, with only [[Mario Corti (manager)|Mario Corti]], the former [[Chief financial officer|CFO]] of [[Nestlé]], remaining. From April to August 2001, the group's [[Moody's Ratings|Moody's credit rating]] was gradually downgraded from A3 to B1 (it was downgraded further to B2 on September 18).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Swissair Group {{!}} Reports {{!}} Moody's |url=https://www.moodys.com/credit-ratings/Swissair-Group-credit-rating-600051588/reports?category=Ratings_and_Assessments_Reports_rc%7CIssuer_Reports_rc&type=Rating_Action_rc,Credit_Opinion_ir_rc%7CIssuer_Reports_rc |access-date=2024-03-24 |website=www.moodys.com}}</ref> The buying spree created a major [[cash flow]] crisis for parent company SAirGroup and was exacerbated by the environment caused by the [[September 11 attacks]]. Unable to make payments to creditors on its large debt, and with the refusal of [[UBS]] to extend its line of credit, on 2 October 2001 the entire Swissair fleet was abruptly grounded.<ref>{{cite news | author=Staff writers | url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1574658.stm | title=Swissair grounds all flights | work=BBC News | date=2001-10-02 | access-date=2007-08-02}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> Many blamed UBS for the fiasco, causing demonstrators to take to the streets with signs referring to UBS chairman [[Marcel Ospel]] as "''Bin Ospel''", quoting [[al-Qaeda]] leader [[Osama bin Laden]], and redefining the bank's acronym, "UBS", as the ''United Bandits of Switzerland''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Richter |first1=Patrick |title=The collapse of Swissair |url=https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2001/10/swis-o13.html |access-date=29 June 2023 |work=World Socialist Web Site |date=13 October 2001 |language=en}}</ref>

Two large [[bridge loan]]s from the Swiss government were required to finance the continuation of flight operations.  This notwithstanding, with the resumption of flight service, it was necessary for flight crews to carry large sums of cash to purchase fuel at foreign airports.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1581662.stm BUSINESS | State warned against buying Swissair]. BBC News (2001-10-05). Retrieved on 2013-08-20.</ref>

===Grounding===
On 1 October 2001, Project "Phoenix" was announced, under which parts of the group sought a payment delay. The Swiss federal authorities were willing to pay back half of the loan, so they secured the continuation of service.

2 October 2001 saw an increased necessity for strong liquidity, as all suppliers insisted on cash payments of outstanding invoices following a request for payment delay announced the day before. The company's cash reserves filed on that day were barely sufficient to carry out the first morning flights. During the morning, fuel suppliers refused to fuel the waiting aircraft. At 15:45 [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]], CEO Mario Corti announced a cessation of flight operations due to the security risks caused by the crossing of the Flight Duty Regulations.<ref>{{cite news |date=2 October 2001 |title=Swissair jets grounded as cash runs out |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2001/BUSINESS/10/02/swissair/ |work= |publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref>{{clarify|date=May 2023}} This led to the cancellation of over 230 flights, and thousands of passengers, as well as flight crews, were stranded around the world. Flight crew corporate credit cards were blocked by the banks, with some hotels expelling the crew, and having them return home at their own expense. All tickets sold were voided.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Milner |first1=Mark |last2=Harper |first2=Keith |last3=Clark |first3=Andrew |date=2001-10-03 |title=Financial crisis grounds Swissair fleet |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2001/oct/03/theairlineindustry.internationalnews |access-date=2024-04-20 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2001-10-02 |title=Crossair to fly the flag as Swissair gives up the struggle |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/banking-fintech/crossair-to-fly-the-flag-as-swissair-gives-up-the-struggle/2282548 |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=swissinfo.ch |publisher=[[Swiss Broadcasting Corporation]] |language=en-GB}}</ref><!--Crossair shares were only reissued on the evening of 2 October due to the rewriting of Crossair shares, with their purchase price not arriving until the following day – the setting of flight operations – into the SAirLines account.-->

4 October 2001 saw demonstrations by former Swissair employees before the UBS presentation held in Glattbrugg, and the following day saw demonstrations in [[Bern]]'s Federal Square.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}

At around the same time, SAirGroup's stake in Crossair was sold to the Swiss banks [[UBS]] and [[Credit Suisse]]. Furthermore, Crossair took over various assets of former Swissair, including its employees, aircraft, and most European routes. Swissair and the SAirGroup were handed over to the liquidation firm of Jürg Hoss and ceased operations on 31 March 2002. Crossair was renamed [[Swiss International Air Lines]], or Swiss for short, and took over Swissair's intercontinental routes on 1 April 2002, officially ending 71 years of Swissair service.

==== Controversy surrounding Corti's decision to ground flights ====
An investigation by the Zurich branch of [[Ernst & Young]] into factors behind the grounding revealed that <blockquote>"...in contradiction to representations made by SAir Group, not just 14.5 million Swiss Francs, but around CHF50 million were available at the company's disposal on the morning of October 2, 2001".<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |url=https://www.liquidator-swissair.ch/fileadmin/_migrated/content_uploads/untersuchung1_e.PDF |title=RESULTS OF ERNST & YOUNG'S INVESTIGATION REGARDING SWISSAIR: Appendix 1 to the press release |date=January 25, 2003 |publisher=Ernst & Young |location=Zürich |pages=4}}</ref></blockquote> The report further stated that <blockquote>"Without the administrative inadequacies connected with the release of an [[Escrow|escrow account]], an additional CHF 73 million would have been available. Thus, overall, some CHF 123 million would have been available at SAirGroup, SAirLines, and Swissair."<ref name=":3" /></blockquote> Former Crossair executive André Dosé, who also served as the first CEO of successor airline [[Swiss International Air Lines]], stated in 2004 that this meant the grounding was not necessary and that Swissair could have likely continued flying until the financing for a successor airline would have been finalized,<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=André Dosé: Mario Corti, die Banken und das Grounding |url=https://www.handelszeitung.ch/unternehmen/andre-dose-mario-corti-die-banken-und-das-grounding |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Handelszeitung |date=25 August 2004 |language=de-CH}}</ref> a view he reiterated in a 2021 interview.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-10-02 |title=20 Jahre nach dem Grounding - Ex-Swiss-Chef Dosé: «Das Grounding wäre gar nie nötig gewesen» |url=https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/20-jahre-nach-dem-grounding-ex-swiss-chef-dose-das-grounding-waere-gar-nie-noetig-gewesen |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) |language=de}}</ref> In his 2004 statement, Dose voiced the view that Corti and then-CFO Jacqualyn Fouse had lost oversight of Swissair's finances, accounting for this mismatch in perception of available funds.<ref name=":4" />

Mario Corti vehemently rejected the notion that Swissair and SAirGroup bank accounts together held more than 14 million Swiss francs in a public statement after the Ernst & Young report came out.<ref>{{Cite web |last=swissinfo.ch |first=S. W. I. |date=2003-01-24 |title=Swissair grounding could have been avoided |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/banking-fintech/swissair-grounding-could-have-been-avoided/3129472 |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=SWI swissinfo.ch |language=en-GB}}</ref>

===Transition phase===
On 5 October, commercial flights on most routes were gradually resumed thanks to a federal emergency loan of over CHF 450 million.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2001-10-04 |title=Swissair to Resume Flights With Government Funds |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-oct-04-fi-53107-story.html |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cappelli |first=Peter |title=How Swissair Landed in Trouble |url=https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/how-swissair-landed-in-trouble/ |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=Knowledge at Wharton |publisher=[[University of Pennsylvania]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2001-10-03 |title=State rescues Swissair |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1576636.stm |access-date=2024-04-20 |publisher=[[BBC]] |language=en-GB}}</ref> This occurred, in part, to ensure Switzerland's continued accessibility as a business location and to establish a basis for the creation of [[Swiss International Air Lines|Swiss]].<ref name=":2" /> By preventing the complete collapse of Swissair, the other airline-related businesses of the group were likewise spared collapse.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2001-10-29 |title=New threat to Swissair |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1624688.stm |access-date=2024-04-20 |publisher=[[BBC]] |language=en-GB}}</ref>

[[File:New Swiss International Airlines Logo, October 2011.png|thumb|The Swiss International Air Lines logo as of 2011]]

Following another federal repayable funding commitment of one billion francs, each of the 26 long-haul aircraft ([[McDonnell Douglas MD-11|MD-11]]s and [[Airbus A330|A330]]s) and 26 medium-haul aircraft ([[Airbus A321|A321]]s, [[Airbus A320|A320]]s and [[Airbus A319|A319]]s) were able to be transferred to [[Crossair]]/[[Swiss International Air Lines|Swiss]] at the end of the winter schedule of 2001/02. On Easter Monday, 1 April 2002, the last flight of Swissair, flight SR145 from São Paulo, landed in Zürich. A 71-year-long chapter of Swiss aviation history thus came to an end. Between 1931 and 2002, Swissair transported more than 260 million passengers. The SwissairGroup (the name change from SAirGroup to SwissairGroup was announced in 2001 but never officially implemented) still existed as 'SAirGroup in Nachlassstundung' ([[German language|German]]: ''Swissair in Administration'') for several years until all assets were liquidated, including a large auction where many of the remaining Swissair assets, such as historic items, were auctioned. Today, Gategourmet continues as a subsidiary of [[Gategroup]].

=== Factors behind collapse ===
Like other airlines that flew to the United States, Swissair's operations and [[Profit (accounting)|profitability]] were disrupted in the wake of the [[September 11 attacks|terror attacks against the United States]].<ref>{{cite news | author=Staff writers | title=Thousands stranded in airline crisis | url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1577609.stm | work=BBC News | date=3 October 2001 | access-date=2009-03-19}}</ref>  Several politicians were among those included on Swissair's [[Board of directors]], and commentators have pointed to potential [[conflict of interest|conflicts of interest]] as fundamental to the demise of Swissair. Media have also suggested that the directorial board failed to oversee the actions of [[Philippe Bruggisser]] ([[Chief Operating Officer]] since 1996) and [[Eric Honegger]] (board member since 1993 and later board president) and that they left behind a convoluted corporate structure and financial commitments—amongst others, a further purchase of 35.5 per cent of Sabena's stock—which would only come to light when [[Mario Corti (manager)|Mario Corti]] was trying to save the airline.<ref>{{cite news|last=Olson|first=Elizabeth|title=Brussels sues Swissair in move to aid Sabena|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/04/business/brussels-sues-swissair-in-move-to-aid-sabena.html|access-date=27 September 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=4 July 2001}}</ref>

The [[judiciary]] is continuing to examine why Swissair acquired [[counsel]]ling that supported the Hunter Strategy and why Swissair continued to make certain payments despite nearing [[insolvency]]. Questions have also been raised about the [[federal aid]] given to Swissair and the politicians involved. The highly competitive nature of the market during the business's final years also precipitated its demise: like its Belgian counterpart [[Sabena]], Swissair fell victim to the rise of competition from [[low-cost airline|budget airlines]] on their short and medium-haul routes, such as [[Ryanair]] and [[EasyJet]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Business Studies | edition=Third |first=Dave | last=Hall |author2=Jones, Rob |author3=Raffo, Carlo | year=2004 | publisher=Causeway Press |location=Ormskirk | isbn=1-902796-83-7 | page=196 }}</ref>

Imogen Foulkes from the [[BBC]] said regarding the collapse: "Something did die in Switzerland that day: not just an airline but an image the Swiss had of themselves and, more importantly, of their business leaders"<ref name=":0" /> and "The Swiss financial community's reputation for good business sense was already seriously damaged by the Swissair disaster."<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Foulkes |first=Imogen |date=2007-03-08 |title=Swiss shame over airline disgrace lingers |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6428019.stm |access-date=2024-04-03 |work=From Our Own Correspondent |publisher=[[BBC]] |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Because civil cases are still going on, some of the reasons why SAirGroup failed are still being looked into by the courts and have not been made clear legally. The following causes are widely recognised as crucial factors:

*The management underestimated the dangers and difficulties in the acquisitions and investments of partially ailing airlines. Therefore, the Belgian airline [[Sabena]] and German airline [[LTU International|LTU]] were acquired despite significant capital requirements. Also, investments in France ([[AOM French Airlines|AOM]], [[Air Liberté]], and [[Air Littoral]]) required much capital restructuring. Sabena ultimately ceased operations due to the aforementioned financial crisis.
*The indebtedness created by an uncompromising adaptation to the realities of "Hunter strategy" implementation and the lack of monitoring by the Board.
*The 2001 terrorist attacks in the US led to a sharp slump in demand and, consequently to an extreme tightening of liquidity.
*An orderly transfer of operations to [[Crossair]] was denied because of the failure to reach a bridging loan and the delayed transfer of the share purchase price.
*Increasing competition from low-cost carriers such as [[Ryanair]] and [[EasyJet]] in the short-to-medium-haul markets from Europe caused Swissair to lose passenger revenues.
*A full merger with Sabena was impossible due to Swissair's financial crisis.
*An MD-11, operating [[Swissair Flight 111|flight 111]], crashed in 1998, killing everyone on board. This event led to further troubles for the airline with negative publicity, a significant lawsuit, more financial problems and lowered customer confidence.

===Legacy===
In April 2002, [[Swiss International Air Lines]] commenced operations.  First called Swiss Air Lines, this company was based on the former Crossair and was a merger of Crossair and former Swissair employees, routes, aircraft, and intellectual property.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2001-10-02 |title=Debt-ridden Swissair to split with Crossair taking on flights |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/debt-ridden-swissair-to-split-with-crossair-taking-on-flights-1.330050 |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]}}</ref> The company Swissair continued to exist (in liquidation) but had no further assets. Due to legal problems with Swissair, the name had to be changed to Swiss International Air Lines.

Swiss took over 26 long-haul and 26 medium-haul aircraft from the defunct Swissair fleet<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.planetairlines.net/swiss.html |title=Planet Airlines - Swiss |website=planetairlines.net}}</ref> and refurbished the liveries and interiors to turn it into the new Swiss fleet, together with the former Crossair Fleet consisting of the Embraer 145, Saab 2000, MD-80 Series, and Avro RJ.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sr692.com/fleet/crossair/index.html|title=Fleet - Crossair}}</ref> The remainder of the Swissair aircraft that were grounded and were not taken by the new company were returned to their lessors.

After problems with the former Crossair pilot unions, who refused to accept different conditions than the former Swissair pilots within the same airline, a subsidiary called Swiss European Air Lines was founded, which belongs 100% to Swiss International Air Lines.

In 2003, it appeared that Swiss was going to become a member of [[Oneworld]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2003-09-23 |title=Swiss joins Oneworld alliance |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/banking-fintech/swiss-joins-oneworld-alliance/3528166 |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=swissinfo.ch |publisher=[[Swiss Broadcasting Corporation]] |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Tran |first=Mark |date=2003-09-23 |title=BA rescue deal keeps Swiss carrier flying |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2003/sep/23/theairlineindustry.money |access-date=2024-04-20 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> It had codeshares with Oneworld carriers [[British Airways]], [[American Airlines]], [[Cathay Pacific]], [[Qantas]], [[Aer Lingus]] and [[Finnair]], and held a strategic partnership and joint operation for all service to North America and AA-operated flights beyond U.S. gateways using [[American Airlines]]. Swiss started to terminate these codeshare agreements but did not terminate the AA alliance. A theory emerged that Swiss was planning to use its partnerships, the AA alliance, and its partnership with British Airways, a strong and supportive member of Oneworld, to join Oneworld itself.

However, in 2005, Swiss was taken over by [[Lufthansa]], the national airline of Germany.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2005-03-22 |title=Lufthansa takes over Swiss |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/banking-fintech/lufthansa-takes-over-swiss/4424174 |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=swissinfo |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=30 September 2011 |title=Swissair collapse still reverberates |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swissair-collapse-still-reverberates/31250752 |website=swissinfo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=EU Gives Lufthansa-Swiss Merger Go-Ahead – DW – 07/05/2005 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/eu-gives-lufthansa-swiss-merger-go-ahead/a-1640372 |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=dw.com |publisher=[[Deutsche Welle]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2005-07-05 |title=Lufthansa wins EU approval for takeover |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna8472109 |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=NBC News |publisher=[[NBC]] |language=en}}</ref> With the merger with Lufthansa, Swiss joined the [[Star Alliance]] in 2006, which Swissair planned to join before it failed. With this move, Swiss's frequent flyer club, Swiss TravelClub became part of [[Miles & More]], which was originally the Lufthansa Group frequent flyer club. It acts as both airlines' frequent flyer programme, along with many other Lufthansa Group airlines.

=== Management trial ===
A criminal trial began on 16 January 2007 in [[Bülach]].  The entire former Swissair management board faced criminal charges of mismanagement, false statements, and document forgery.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/16/business/worldbusiness/16iht-swissair.4227734.html|title = Swissair trial opens with 19 executives charged - Business - International Herald Tribune|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 16 January 2007}}</ref> The top defendants in the trial were [[Mario Corti (manager)|Mario Corti]], [[Philippe Bruggisser]], George Schorderet, Jacqualyn Fouse, Eric Honegger, and [[Vreni Spoerry|Verena Spoerry]]. Corti, Honegger, and Spoerry entered statements proclaiming their innocence.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/16/business/EU-FIN-Switzerland-Swissair-Trial.php | title=Swissair executives assert innocence at the first day of Switzerland's biggest corporate trial | work=International Herald Tribune | author=Harry Rosenbaum | date=15 January 2007 | access-date=2007-02-22}}</ref>

On 7 June 2007, the court in [[Bülach]] cleared the defendants of all criminal charges over the airline's 2001 bankruptcy.<ref>{{cite news | author=Staff writers | url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6729261.stm | title=All Swissair defendants cleared | work=BBC News | date=2007-06-07 | access-date=2007-08-02}}</ref>

On 29 November 2019, Switzerland’s Federal Court upheld a 2018 decision clearing 14 former Swissair bosses of mismanagement charges related to the airline’s 2001 collapse. The court agreed with the Zurich commercial court’s finding that the company needed funding to continue operations, despite being heavily indebted. The decision confirms the conclusions of the Zurich court, though it reduces the legal costs of the case.<ref>{{cite news |title=Former Swissair bosses cleared of mismanagement |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/airline-bankruptcy-_former-swissair-bosses-cleared-of-mismanagement/45402522#:~:text=Swissair%20planes%20were%20grounded%20on,which%20folded%20the%20following%20year. |access-date=31 October 2025 |agency=Swiss Telegraphic Agency |publisher=SWI swissinfo |date=29 November 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

===Continued use of the "Swissair" brand===
Swiss retains the rights to the "Swissair" name, whose value was estimated at more than 10 million Swiss francs in 2010. To prevent the [[trademark]] from becoming void through disuse, Swiss licensed it to Hopscotch Air, which operates a fleet of [[Cirrus SR22]] planes in the United States, for use from 2010 to 2013. In Switzerland, the trademark is protected through its use by an aviation sports club, ''Sportfluggruppe Swissair''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Business lead |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/10/19/348506/business-lead.html|access-date=1 November 2010|newspaper=[[Flightglobal]]|date=19 October 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Keller|first=Senta|title=Swissair hebt wieder ab|url=http://www.bernerzeitung.ch/wirtschaft/unternehmen-und-konjunktur/Swissair-hebt-wieder-ab/story/22277954|access-date=1 November 2010|newspaper=[[Berner Zeitung]]|date=1 November 2010}}</ref>

== Fleet ==
===Last active fleet===
At the time of its demise, the Swissair fleet consisted of the following aircraft:{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}
{| class="wikitable" style="border-collapse:collapse; text-align:center"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Aircraft
! rowspan="2" | In service
! rowspan="2" | Orders
! colspan="4" | Passengers
! rowspan="2" | Notes
|-
! {{abbr|F|First Class}}
! {{abbr|C|Business Class}}
! {{abbr|Y|Economy Class}}
! Total
|-
|[[Airbus A319-100]]
|5
|&mdash;
|&mdash;
|18
|92
|110
|Launch operator.
|-
|[[Airbus A320-200]]
|24
|&mdash;
|&mdash;
|18
|156
|174
|
|-
|[[Airbus A321-100]]
|8
|&mdash;
|&mdash;
|18
|202
|220
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Airbus A330-200]]
|rowspan="2"|16
|rowspan="2"|&mdash;
|12
|42
|142
|196
|Regular configuration.
|-
|&mdash;
|48
|182
|230
|High-density configuration.
|-
|[[Airbus A340-600]]
|&mdash;
|9
| colspan="4" style="text-align: center;" class="unsortable" |{{abbr|TBA|To Be Announced}}
| After Swissair's collapse, orders were later cancelled. Were to replace the MD-11s.
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[McDonnell Douglas MD-11]]
| rowspan="2" |20
| rowspan="2" |&mdash;
|8
|47
|164
|219
| Low-density configuration. It was never implemented after Swissair's bankruptcy.
|-
|12
|49
|180
|241
| Regular configuration.
|-
!Total
!73
!9
!colspan="4"|
!
|}

=== Historic fleet ===
In its 71 years of existence, Swissair operated the following aircraft:<ref>{{cite web|author=Patrick Eberhard|title=The whole Swissair fleet|url=http://www.sr692.com/|work=Swissair.aero|year=2008|access-date=2008-09-02}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="border-collapse:collapse; text-align:center"
|+ Aircraft which Swissair has operated
|-
! Aircraft
! Total
! Delivered
! Retired
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|[[Airbus A310-200]]
|5
|1983
|1995
|Launch operator. Two aircraft were sold to [[Air Liberté]].<br />Three aircraft were sold to [[FedEx Express]] after being converted into freighters.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Airbus A310-300]]
|6
|1985
|2000
|
|-
|[[Airbus A319-100]]
|9
|1996
|2002
|Most aircraft were transferred to [[Swiss International Air Lines]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Airbus A320-200]]
|20
|1995
|2002
|Most aircraft were transferred to [[Swiss International Air Lines]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Airbus A321-100]]
|12
|1995
|2002
|Most aircraft were transferred to [[Swiss International Air Lines]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Airbus A330-200]]
|16
|1998
|2002
|Most aircraft were transferred to [[Swiss International Air Lines]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Airbus A340-600]]
|9
|colspan="2"|Cancelled
|After Swissair went bankrupt, SWISS cancelled the orders and ordered the [[Airbus A340-300]].<br />Six of Swissair's previously ordered [[Airbus A340-600]]s were purchased by [[South African Airways]] in 2002.<br />The remaining three were purchased by [[Iberia (airline)|Iberia]] in the same year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Árbol |first=Antonio Ruiz del |date=2002-06-28 |title=Iberia incorpora a su flota tres unidades del mayor avión de Airbus |url=https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2002/06/28/empresas/1025271590_850215.html |access-date=2024-04-03 |website=Cinco Días |language=es}}</ref>
|-
|[[BAC One-Eleven]]
|3
|1968
|1969
|Leased to increase capacity.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Boeing 747-200B]]
|2
|1971
|1984
|
|-
|[[Boeing 747-300]]
|2
|1983
|2000
|Launch customer.<br />Sold to [[South African Airways]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Boeing 747|Boeing 747-300M]]
|3
|1983
|1999
|Largest operator of its type along with [[KLM]] and [[Singapore Airlines]]. Includes one leased aircraft.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Boeing 747-357]]
|4
|1983
|1999
|Launch Customer.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}
|-
|[[Clark G.A. 43]]
|2
|1934
|1936
|First all-metal aeroplane in Swissair fleet.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Comte AC-4]]
|1
|1931
|1947
|Acquired from Ad Astra.<br />Now in the SR Technics Hangar in Zürich.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Convair CV-240]]
|8
|1949
|1957
|Most aircraft were sold.<br />Some scrapped, and one crashed.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Convair CV-440 Metropolitan]]
|12
|1956
|1968
|Most aircraft were sold.<br />First Swissair plane to use integrated Weather Radar.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Convair 880|Convair CV-880-22M]]
|2
|1961
|1962
|Leased pending delivery of Convair 990s.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Convair 990|Convair CV-990 Coronado]]
|8
|1962
|1975
|Most were sold, one crashed, and one is at the [[Swiss Transport Museum]] in Lucerne.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Curtiss T-32 Condor II|Curtiss AT-32C Condor]]
|1
|1934
|1934
|First European airliner to have a [[Flight attendant|stewardess]].<br />It crashed in 1934.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[de Havilland Dragon Rapide]]
|3
|1937
|1954
|
|-
|[[de Havilland Mosquito]]
|1
|1945
|1945
|Originally used as a [[Royal Air Force]] fighter aircraft in [[World War II]], fell into Swiss hands.<br />Swiss government used it and sold it to Swissair in 1944.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Douglas DC-2]]
|6
|1934
|1952
|Assembled under licence by [[Fokker]] at [[Amsterdam Airport Schiphol|Schiphol Airport]] near [[Amsterdam]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Douglas DC-3]]
|16
|1937
|1969
|The first 5 were assembled pre-war by [[Fokker]] at [[Amsterdam Airport Schiphol|Schiphol Airport]] near [[Amsterdam]].<br />The others were converted USAF C-47's and postwar built aircraft.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Douglas DC-4]]
|5
|1946
|1959
|Used on service to [[John F. Kennedy International Airport|New York-JFK]] route.<br />Three aircraft were written off.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Douglas DC-6]]
|8
|1951
|1962
|
|-
|[[Douglas DC-7|Douglas DC-7C]]
|5
|1956
|1962
|All aircraft were sold.<br />The Swissair Fleet included the final DC-7 ever built.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Douglas DC-8|Douglas DC-8-32]]
|3
|1960
|1967
|One was converted to a -53 and two were converted to -33's.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Douglas DC-8|Douglas DC-8-53]]
|2
|1963
|1976
|One was converted from a -33.<br />One was [[Dawson's Field hijackings|hijacked]] and blown-up after passengers were released.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Douglas DC-8-62]]
|7
|1967
|1984
|Two were operated as a freighter -62Fs.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15]]
|5
|1966
|1968
|Sent back to [[Douglas Aircraft Company|Douglas]] or sold.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas DC-9|McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32]]
|22
|1967
|1988
|One was operated as a freighter -33F.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Dornier Merkur]]
|2
|1931
|1931
|Acquired from Ad Astra.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Fieseler Fi 156|Mraz M-65 Cap]]
|1
|1948
|1950
|Built under licence by Fieseler Storch.<br />Later sold to [[Lindt & Sprüngli]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Fokker F.VII|Fokker VII a]]
|1
|1931
|1950
|Acquired from [[Balair]].<br />Now on display in the [[Swiss Transport Museum]] in Lucerne.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Fokker F.VII|Fokker VII b]]
|8
|1931
|1935
|Acquired from [[Ad Astra Aero|Ad Astra]] and [[Balair]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Fokker F27]]
|3
|1965
|1972
|Operated for Swissair by [[Balair]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Fokker 100]]
|6
|1988
|1996
|
|-
|[[Junkers Ju 86|Junkers Ju-86 B-0]]
|2
|1936
|1939
|
|-
|[[Lockheed Model 9 Orion]]
|2
|1932
|1936
|Both were sold to the Republicans in the [[Spanish Civil War]].<br />(The example at the [[Swiss Transport Museum]] never served in the Swissair fleet, but was instead bought in the 1960s by Swissair, restored to flying status, and painted in Swissair colours).{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas DC-10|McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30]]
|12
|1972
|1992
|Launch operator along with KLM.<br />Most were sold to [[Northwest Airlines]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas DC-10|McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30ER]]
|2
|1980
|1992
|
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas DC-9|McDonnell Douglas DC-9-41]]
|4
|1974
|1975
|Leased from [[Scandinavian Airlines]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas DC-9|McDonnell Douglas DC-9-51]]
|12
|1975
|1988
|
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas MD-11]]
|22
|1991
|2002
|One crashed as [[Swissair Flight 111|Flight 111]].<br />The remaining aircraft were transferred to [[Swiss International Air Lines]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas MD-80|McDonnell Douglas MD-81]]
|25
|1980
|1998
|Launch customer of MD-80.<br />Most aircraft were sold to [[Scandinavian Airlines]], [[Trans World Airlines]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas MD-80|McDonnell Douglas MD-82]]
|3
|1982
|1996
|
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas MD-80|McDonnell Douglas MD-83]]
|2
|1995
|1996
|
|-
|[[Messerschmitt M 18]]
|1
|1931
|1938
|Taken over from Ad Astra.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Nord Aviation|Nord 1000]]
|1
|1948
|1953
|Sold to Federal Air Office.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer]]
|1
|1957
|1957
|Used for high-altitude airports.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|-
|[[Sud Aviation Caravelle|Sud Aviation SE210 Caravelle]]
|9
|1960
|1971
|Swissair's first jet airliner.<br />First ones leased from [[Scandinavian Airlines]].<br />Most were sold, and one is still active.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
|}

==Destinations==
The following destinations Swissair served:

===Asia   ===
* '''{{CHN}}'''
** [[Beijing]] - [[Beijing Capital International Airport]]<ref name=Swissairshanghai>{{cite web|url=http://www.swissair.com:80/web/sr-11-4_media_release.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970125083714/http://www.swissair.com/web/sr-11-4_media_release.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=1997-01-25|title=Swissair to start Shanghai services on November 4|publisher=Swissair|date=1995-10-30|access-date=2018-01-08}}</ref>
** [[Shanghai]]
*** [[Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport]]<ref name=Swissairshanghai/> (before 1999)
*** [[Shanghai Pudong International Airport]]
** '''{{HKG}}'''
*** [[Hong Kong International Airport]]
*** [[Kai Tak Airport]] (terminated due to airport closure)
* '''{{IND}}'''
** [[Delhi]] – [[Indira Gandhi International Airport]]
** [[Mumbai]] – [[Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport]]
* '''{{IRN}}'''
** [[Tehran]] – [[Mehrabad International Airport]]
* '''{{ISR}}'''
** [[Tel Aviv]] – [[Ben Gurion Airport]]
* '''{{JPN}}'''
** [[Osaka]] – [[Kansai International Airport]]
** [[Tokyo]]
*** [[Haneda Airport]] (before 1978)
*** [[Narita International Airport]]
* '''{{INA}}'''
** [[Jakarta]]
*** [[Kemayoran Airport]] (terminated due to airport closure)
*** [[Soekarno–Hatta International Airport]]
* '''{{MYS}}'''
** [[Kuala Lumpur]]
*** [[Subang International Airport]]
*** [[Kuala Lumpur International Airport]]
* '''{{OMN}}'''
** [[Muscat, Oman|Muscat]] – [[Muscat International Airport]]
* '''{{PAK}}'''
** [[Karachi]] – [[Jinnah International Airport]]
* '''{{PHL}}'''
** [[Manila]] – [[Ninoy Aquino International Airport]]
* '''{{KSA}}'''
** [[Jeddah]] – [[King Abdulaziz International Airport]]
** [[Riyadh]] - [[King Khalid International Airport]]
* '''{{SIN}}'''
** [[Singapore]] – [[Singapore Changi Airport]]
* '''{{ROK}}'''
** [[Seoul]] – [[Gimpo International Airport]]
* '''{{THA}}'''
** [[Bangkok]] – [[Don Mueang International Airport]]
* '''{{TWN}}'''
** [[Taipei]] – [[Taoyuan International Airport|Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport]] (as [[Swissair Asia]]; airport reamed Taoyuan International Airport in 2006)
* '''{{UAE}}'''
** [[Abu Dhabi]] – [[Abu Dhabi International Airport]]
** [[Dubai]] – [[Dubai International Airport]]
* '''{{VIE}}'''
** [[Ho Chi Minh City]] – [[Tan Son Nhat International Airport]]

===Africa===
* '''{{ALG}}'''
** [[Algiers]] – [[Houari Boumediene Airport]]
* '''{{CMR}}'''
** [[Douala]] – [[Douala International Airport]]<ref>"Africa Route Network." Swissair Fan Site. N.p., n.d. Web.</ref>
** [[Yaoundé]] – [[Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport]]
* '''{{DRC}}'''
** [[Kinshasa]] – [[N'djili Airport]]
* '''{{EGY}}'''
** [[Cairo]] – [[Cairo International Airport]]
* '''{{GNQ}}'''
** [[Malabo]] – [[Malabo International Airport]]
* '''{{ETH}}'''
** [[Addis Ababa]] – [[Addis Ababa Bole International Airport]]
* '''{{GAB}}'''
** [[Libreville]] – [[Libreville International Airport]]
* '''{{GAM}}'''
** [[Banjul]] – [[Banjul International Airport]]
* '''{{GHA}}'''
** [[Accra]] – [[Kotoka International Airport]]
* '''{{CIV}}'''
** [[Abidjan]] – [[Félix-Houphouët-Boigny International Airport|Port Bouet Airport]]
* '''{{KEN}}'''
** [[Nairobi]] – [[Jomo Kenyatta International Airport]]
* '''{{LBA}}'''
** [[Benghazi]] – [[Benina International Airport]]
* '''{{LBR}}'''
** [[Monrovia]] – [[Roberts International Airport]]
* '''{{MLI}}'''
** [[Bamako]] – [[Bamako–Sénou International Airport]]
* '''{{MAR}}'''
** [[Casablanca]] – [[Mohammed V International Airport]]
* '''{{NGA}}'''
** [[Lagos]] – [[Murtala Muhammed International Airport]]
* '''{{flag|Republic of the Congo}}'''
** [[Brazzaville]] – [[Maya-Maya Airport]]
* '''{{SEN}}'''
** [[Dakar]] – [[Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport]]
* '''{{flag|South Africa}}'''
** [[Cape Town]] – [[Cape Town International Airport]]
** [[Johannesburg]] – [[O. R. Tambo International Airport]]
* '''{{SUD}}'''
** [[Khartoum]] – [[Khartoum International Airport]]
* '''{{TAN}}'''
** [[Dar es Salaam]] – [[Julius Nyerere International Airport]]
* '''{{TUN}}'''
** [[Tunis]] – [[Tunis–Carthage International Airport]]
* '''{{flag|Zimbabwe}}'''
** [[Harare]] – [[Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport]]

===Europe===
* '''{{AUT}}'''
** [[Linz]] - [[Linz Airport]]
** [[Vienna]] – [[Vienna International Airport]]
* '''{{BEL}}'''
** [[Brussels]] – [[Brussels Airport]]
* '''{{CYP}}'''
** [[Larnaca]] – [[Larnaca International Airport]]
* '''{{CZE}}'''
** [[Prague]] – [[Václav Havel Airport Prague|Prague Ruzyně Airport]]
* '''{{FRA}}'''
** [[Bordeaux]] – [[Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport]]
** [[Lyon]] – [[Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport]]
** [[Paris]]
*** [[Charles de Gaulle Airport]]
*** [[Orly Airport]]
** [[Strasbourg]] – [[Strasbourg Airport]]
** [[Toulouse]] – [[Toulouse–Blagnac Airport]]
* '''{{GER}}'''
** [[Berlin]] – [[Berlin Tegel Airport]]
** [[Düsseldorf]] – [[Düsseldorf Airport]]
** [[Frankfurt]] – [[Frankfurt Airport]]
** [[Hanover]] – [[Hannover Airport]]
** [[Munich]]
*** [[Munich-Riem Airport]] (terminated due to airport closure)
*** [[Munich Airport]]
** [[Nuremberg]] – [[Nuremberg Airport]]
** [[Stuttgart]] – [[Stuttgart Airport]]
* '''{{GRE}}'''
** [[Athens]]
*** [[Athens International Airport]]
*** [[Ellinikon International Airport]] (until 2001)
** [[Thessaloniki]] – [[Thessaloniki Airport]]
* '''{{HUN}}'''
** [[Budapest]] – [[Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport|Budapest Ferihegy International Airport]]
* '''{{ITA}}'''
** [[Bologna]] - [[Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport]]
** [[Florence]] - [[Florence Airport]]
** [[Milan]] – [[Milan Malpensa Airport]]
** [[Rome]] – [[Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport]]
** [[Venice]] – [[Venice Marco Polo Airport]]
* '''{{NED}}'''
** [[Amsterdam]] – [[Amsterdam Airport Schiphol]]
* '''{{NOR}}'''
** [[Oslo]]
*** [[Oslo Airport, Fornebu|Oslo Fornebu Airport]] (terminated due to airport closure)
*** [[Oslo Airport, Gardermoen|Oslo Gardermoen Airport]]
* '''{{POL}}'''
** [[Kraków]] – [[Kraków John Paul II International Airport]]
** [[Warsaw]] – [[Warsaw Chopin Airport]]
* '''{{POR}}'''
** [[Lisbon]] – [[Lisbon Airport]]
** [[Porto]] – [[Porto Airport]]
* '''{{RUS}}'''
** [[Moscow]] – [[Sheremetyevo International Airport]]
** [[Saint Petersburg]] – [[Pulkovo Airport]]
* '''{{flag|Serbia}}'''
** [[Belgrade]] – [[Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport]]
* '''{{ESP}}'''
** [[Alicante]] – [[Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández Airport]]
** [[Barcelona]] – [[Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport]]
** [[Madrid]] – [[Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport]]
* '''{{SWE}}'''
** [[Stockholm]] – [[Stockholm Arlanda Airport]]
* '''{{SWI}}'''
** [[Bern]] – [[Bern Airport]]
** [[Geneva]] – [[Geneva Airport]] - '''hub'''
** [[Zurich]] – [[Zurich Airport]] - '''hub'''
* '''{{SWI}}''' / '''{{FRA}}''' / '''{{GER}}'''
** [[Basel]], [[Mulhouse]], [[Freiburg]] – [[EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg]] - '''hub'''
* '''{{TUR}}'''
** [[Istanbul]] – [[Atatürk Airport|Istanbul Atatürk International Airport]]
* '''{{UKR}}'''
** [[Kyiv]] – [[Boryspil International Airport]]
* '''{{GBR}}'''
** [[London]]
*** [[London City Airport]]
*** [[Gatwick Airport|London Gatwick International Airport]]
*** [[Heathrow Airport|London Heathrow International Airport]]
** [[Manchester]] – [[Manchester Airport]]

===Americas===
* '''{{ARG}}'''
** [[Buenos Aires]] – [[Ministro Pistarini International Airport]]
* '''{{BRA}}'''
** [[Rio de Janeiro]] – [[Rio de Janeiro/Galeão International Airport]]
** [[São Paulo]] – [[São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport]]
* '''{{CAN}}'''
** [[Montreal]]
*** [[Montréal–Mirabel International Airport]]
*** [[Montréal–Trudeau International Airport]]
** [[Toronto]] – [[Toronto Pearson International Airport]]
** [[Vancouver]] - [[Vancouver International Airport]]
* '''{{CHL}}'''
** [[Santiago]] – [[Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport]]
* '''{{COL}}'''
** [[Bogotá]] – [[El Dorado International Airport]]
* '''{{USA}}'''
** [[Atlanta]] – [[Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport]]
** [[Boston]] – [[Logan International Airport]]
** [[Chicago]] – [[O'Hare International Airport]]
** [[Dallas]]/[[Fort Worth]] – [[Dallas Fort Worth International Airport]]
** [[Los Angeles]] – [[Los Angeles International Airport]]
** [[New York City]] – [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]]
** [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]] – [[Newark Liberty International Airport]]
** [[Miami]] – [[Miami International Airport]]
** [[San Francisco]] - [[San Francisco International Airport]]
** [[Seattle]] - [[Seattle–Tacoma International Airport]]
** [[Washington, D.C.]] – [[Washington Dulles International Airport]]
* '''{{VEN}}'''
** [[Caracas]] – [[Simón Bolívar International Airport (Venezuela)|Simón Bolívar International Airport]]

==Swissair Asia==
{{Main|Swissair Asia}}
Due to [[One China Policy|Taiwan's relations with China]], '''Swissair Asia''' was formed to serve [[Taipei]], [[Taiwan]], also known as the [[Republic of China]], while Swissair maintained service to the [[People's Republic of China]].<ref>"World Airline Directory." ''[[Flight International]]''. 28 March-3 April 2000. [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/2000/2000%20-%200974.html]-[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/2000/2000%20-%200975.html].</ref>

==Corporate affairs==
Swissair's head office was on the grounds of [[Zurich Airport]] and in [[Kloten]].<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20011201053407/http://www.swissair.com/about/company/index.htm facts & figures]." Swissair. Retrieved on 13 June 2009. "Swissair AG, P.O. Box, CH-8058 Zurich Airport"</ref><ref name="KSG">"[http://www.amz-architekten.ch/pdf-upload/1001_Swissair_27_EE.pdf Headquarters of Swissair Zuerich-Kloten]." KSG, Architects G.Müller + G.Berger. Retrieved on 27 September 2011. [http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Kloten+Airport&hl=en&ll=47.439917,8.572533&spn=0.006836,0.018411&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.450489,75.410156&vpsrc=6&t=h&z=16 The building is located here] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729090949/http://www.amz-architekten.ch/pdf-upload/1001_Swissair_27_EE.pdf |date=July 29, 2014 }}</ref>

KSG, Architects G.Müller + G.Berger designed the final head office complex for the airline. It was in proximity to the main airport facilities and area freeways. The first phase of the building included offices for 1,600 workers, computer rooms, printing rooms, and 500-seat restaurant facilities. The second phase included an open-plan office room, another computer laboratory, and expansions of the restaurant facilities.<ref name="KSG"/>

In the 1930s, the head office was in the [[Dübendorf Aerodrome]] in Zürich.<ref>''[[Flight International]]''. April 28, 1938. p. [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1938/1938%20-%201198.html 416] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20141006155431/http://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1938/1938%20-%201198.PDF Archive]). "SOCIETE ANONYME SUISSE POUR LA NAVIGATION AERIENNE (Swissair), Dübendorf Aerodrome, Zürich."</ref>

== Accidents and incidents ==
Over the 71-year history of Swissair, there were eleven major incidents reported resulting in 414 fatalities.<ref>{{cite web | author=Harro Ranter | title=ASN Aviation Safety Database | url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/dblist.php?sorteer=datekey_desc&kind=%&cat=%&page=1&field=Operatorkey&var=5224 | publisher=The Aviation Safety Network | date=31 August 2008 | access-date=2008-09-02}}</ref>

{{Clear}}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto; text-align:center;
!Flight<br />number
!Date
!Registration number
!Model
!Fatalities
!Details
|-
|N/A
|[[1934 Swissair Tuttlingen accident|27 July 1934]]
|CH-170
|[[Curtiss T-32 Condor II|Curtiss AT-32C Condor II]]
|12
|Crashed due to wing failure in severe turbulence. Oscillations in the wing caused a stress fracture, made worse by the storm the aircraft was flying through. However, German investigators determined that two fractures formed: one in the wing and engine mount due to defective construction and improper welding, and the second resulted from turbulence in the storm.
|-
|N/A
|7 January 1939
|HB-ITA
|[[Douglas DC-2]]
|5
|Crashed after striking a hill.
|-
|N/A
|20 July 1939
|HB-IXA
|[[Junkers Ju 86]]
|6
|Crashed following an engine fire.
|-
|N/A
|[[1954 Swissair Convair CV-240 crash|19 June 1954]]
|HB-IRW
|[[Convair 240|Convair CV-240]]
|3
|Crashed due to [[fuel starvation]] in the [[English Channel]], near [[Folkestone]]. All three crew members survived, but three of the five passengers drowned as they were unable to swim. Passenger aircraft at this time were not obliged to carry [[life raft]]s or [[Personal flotation device|life jackets]], and this was one of the many incidents which led to such a requirement becoming law.
|-
|N/A
|15 July 1956
|HB-IMD
|[[Convair 240|Convair CV-440]]
|4
|The aircraft crashed during a delivery flight from [[San Diego International Airport|San Diego, California]] to [[Zürich]] via [[New York City]], [[Gander International Airport|Gander]] and [[Shannon Airport|Shannon]]. On approach to Shannon, the pilots executed an abnormally steep turn, causing the aircraft to [[Stall (flight)|stall]] and drop to the ground.
|-
|N/A
|18 June 1957
|HB-IRK
|[[Douglas DC-3]]
|9
|Crashed during an exercise conducted under [[visual flight rules]]. The exercise aimed to practice flying with one engine switched off and propellers [[Propeller (aeronautics)#Feathering|feathered]].
|-
|[[Swissair Flight 306|306]]
|4 September 1963
|HB-ICV
|[[Sud Aviation Caravelle|Caravelle]]
|80
|The pilot taxied along the [[runway]] at a high engine setting to clear the fog. This caused the brakes to overheat, which then started a fire that damaged hydraulic lines and led to a loss of control. The accident had a significant impact on the small town of [[Humlikon]]: 43 of the just 200 residents died on that flight.
|-
|N/A
|10 February 1967
|HB-IMF
|Convair CV-440
|4
|Collided with a cloud-covered mountain during a training flight.
|-
|[[Swissair Flight 330|330]]
|21 February 1970
|HB-ICD
|[[Convair 990|Convair CV-990]]
|47
|A bomb on board the flight from Zürich to [[Tel Aviv]], detonated in the aft cargo compartment of the aircraft about nine minutes after take-off climb-out. The aircraft crashed due to a subsequent electrical fire that crippled the aircraft before the pilots could attempt an emergency landing at Zürich.
|-
||[[Dawson's Field hijackings|100]]
|6 September 1970
|HB-IDD
|[[Douglas DC-8]]
|0
|Swissair Flight 100, from Zürich to New York, was [[Aircraft hijacking|hijacked]] by a man and a woman and diverted to [[Dawson's Field hijackings|Dawson's Field]] in [[Jordan]]. The 145 passengers, along with 260 others from two other hijacked aircraft, were held hostage by the [[Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine|PFLP]]. The three empty aircraft were subsequently blown up on September 12.
|-
| [[Swissair Flight 316|316]]
|8 October 1979
|HB-IDE
|Douglas DC-8
|14
|Landed under "adverse conditions" at [[Ellinikon International Airport|Athens Ellinikon International Airport]], overshooting the runway and killing fourteen passengers. The plane touched down at too great a speed and too far along the runway for the pilots to use sufficient braking and [[reverse thrust]].
|-
|[[Swissair Flight 111|111]]
|2 September 1998
|HB-IWF
|[[McDonnell Douglas MD-11]]
|229
|Flying from New York's [[JFK International Airport]] to [[Geneva Cointrin International Airport|Geneva]], the [[MD-11]] crashed in the Atlantic due to an onboard cockpit fire caused by [[arcing]] and subsequent instrument failure at night off the coast of [[Peggy's Cove]], 30&nbsp; km southwest of [[Halifax, Nova Scotia]]. This became the second-deadliest [[Aviation accidents and incidents|aviation accident]] in Canadian history, just after [[Arrow Air Flight 1285R]].
|}

==In popular culture==
* A Swissair plane trip was the focus of "The Big Plane Trip" in [[Little Mammoth Media]]'s ''BIG Adventure'' series. In the video, a plane takes people from the [[Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport]] in [[Atlanta]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] to the [[Zurich Airport]] in [[Zürich]], Switzerland.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://littlemammoth.media/product/?productId=210 | title=Little Mammoth }}</ref>
* In the 2012 Golden Globe winning movie [[Argo (2012 film)|Argo]], a Swissair [[Boeing 747-300]] is shown with [[Ben Affleck]]'s character [[Tony Mendez]] and [[Canadian Caper|6 US embassy staff]] departing Tehran during the [[Iranian revolution]] in 1979. However, the depiction was found to be inaccurate, as the livery shown in the movie was adopted by Swissair in 1980 while the Boeing 747-300 had actually entered service in 1983. In real life, the group departed Iran on a Swissair [[Douglas DC-8]] named "Aargau".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.askthepilot.com/argo-gets-it-wrong/ |title="Argo" and the 747 |newspaper=Askthepilot.com |date=March 1, 2013 |author=Patrick Smith |access-date=August 17, 2015 |archive-date=September 7, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907171516/http://www.askthepilot.com/argo-gets-it-wrong/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Aviation Photo #0139560: McDonnell Douglas DC-8-62 - Swissair|url=https://www.airliners.net/photo/Swissair/McDonnell-Douglas-DC-8-62/139560|access-date=2022-01-02|website=Airliners.net|archive-date=January 2, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220102100938/https://www.airliners.net/photo/Swissair/McDonnell-Douglas-DC-8-62/139560|url-status=live}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Benedikt Meyer: ''Im Flug. Schweizer Airlines und ihre Passagiere, 1919–2002.'' Chronos, Zürich 2014, {{ISBN|978-3-0340-1238-6}}.
*{{cite journal |last1=Cooksley|first1=Peter|title=Celestial Coaches: Dornier's Record Breaking Komet and Merkur |journal=Air Enthusiast |date=September–October 1996 |issue=65 |pages=20–24 |issn=0143-5450}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category-inline|Swissair}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.swissair.com Archive of Swissair.com]
* "[http://www.swissair.com/ Swissair]." [[Swiss International Air Lines]]
* [http://www.swissair.aero/ Swissair Information Website].
* {{Dodis|R331}}
* [http://www.condorfilms.com/de/films/company/movie Swissair Imagefilm "Follow Me" (1967), Condor Films]
* [http://www.sr692.com/fleet/allfleet/index.html Overview of the complete Swissair fleet]
* [http://www.minimarisk.com/swissair-risk-management How the organisational culture of Swissair affected the demise]
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{{Portal bar|Switzerland|Companies|Aviation}}
{{Airlines of Switzerland}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Swissair| ]]
[[Category:Swiss companies established in 1931]]
[[Category:Airlines established in 1931]]
[[Category:Airlines disestablished in 2002]]
[[Category:Defunct airlines of Switzerland]]
[[Category:Swiss companies disestablished in 2002]]
[[Category:Companies based in the canton of Zurich]]