Edelweiss justifies itself for the canceled flights

A lot of frustration has arisen in the many travel agencies working with Edelweiss in recent weeks. In the emails that have reached Travel News, they accuse the airline of a fair weather strategy.

Travel agencies criticize the fact that Edelweiss does not install any backup solutions or time buffers – in case a long-haul aircraft is grounded due to technical or other problems. The outrage is based on the backlog of cancellations that have occurred with planned Edelweiss cruises in recent weeks.

16 canceled connections since the beginning of May

Edelweiss confirms that it has recently had to cancel more flights and provides specific numbers. Ten courses on long-distance routes and six connections on short-distance routes have been canceled since the beginning of May. In the past week alone, flights to Havana/Cancun (Thursday), Las Vegas (Friday) and Mali (Saturday) have been cancelled. According to Edelweiss, canceled flights account for about one percent of the originally planned flight output.

“We fully understand the frustration of travel agencies,” says Urs Limacher, Head of Sales, Service and Distribution at Edelweiss, in an exclusive interview with Travelnews. He has no choice but to apologize for the canceled flights. ‘It’s annoying. On the one hand, for travel agencies and on the other hand for travelers who have to change their travel plans at short notice.”

At the same time, it is important for him to explain in detail why this is happening. “We carry out so-called C-checks on our long-haul aircraft, during which the aircraft are inspected and maintained in detail, in May and June. The problem this year is that these C-checks are taking longer than planned,” says Lemacher.

On the one hand, the delay is due to a shortage of personnel in aircraft manufacturers and maintenance companies. On the other hand, it is currently difficult to obtain spare parts. “Sometimes companies are desperately searching for the right, certified parts all over the world.” Limacher asserts that Edelweiss even allowed 30 percent more time for C checks than the maintenance companies had estimated.

In addition to hangar delays, there were several incidents in flight operations. Limacher cites the example of damage at Denver Airport, where a loading car rammed the cargo door of an Edelweiss Airbus A340 in mid-June.

Swiss operates Edelweiss flights to Tampa and Vancouver

Limacher does not accept the charge that Edelweiss is only working with the best case scenario. “Due to delays in C-Checks, we have engaged and agreed with the Swiss to take over our flights to Tampa and Vancouver in July,” he says. “Thanks to this support, we have enough capacity this summer. Starting next July, the situation should calm down significantly.”

Limacher also points out that a solution is required so quickly if it is said too soon that the machine will not return to flight operations on time. Unfortunately, in these cases it is not always possible to offer an alternative.

The accusation of Edelweiss regularly canceling flights because the flights are not busy enough has been heard quietly recently from travel agencies. Limacher doesn’t want to know anything about it. “Each cancellation takes a very long time for us,” he explains. This affects the whole process, but above all the costs. “We’ve gone so far that sometimes we buy tickets from other airlines so our passengers can still fly.”

According to Limacher, it is now essential for Edelweiss to learn the right lessons from past experience. “With an eye toward next year, we will definitely be installing additional stores around C-Checks,” he says. “Then I am very confident that we can once again offer our travelers and travel agencies a reliable flight plan.”