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Report nowSwiss brought 211 people from Oman to Zurich on a special flight. The mission required exceptional preparation - from a particularly experienced crew to spare parts in the cargo hold.
Swiss flew 211 people from Oman to Zurich on a special flight. This was preceded by intensive preparations for a flight route that Swiss does not have in its regular flight offer.
The flight is not a repatriation flight operated by the Swiss government, emphasizes Swiss spokesman Michael Pelzer. The national airline operated the flight on its own initiative and at its own expense.
"Who wants to fly to the Gulf region, where Israel and the USA are firing on Iran and Iran is firing on its neighboring countries?" Of course, this was not how this special flight assignment for Swiss pilots and flight attendants was formulated. Swiss spokesperson Michael Pelzer states that the airline had no problems finding enough suitable employees for the special flight. "They are particularly experienced employees who sometimes take on additional tasks within the company."
These pilots and flight attendants are also familiar with the processes in Swiss' operations center, which is an advantage in such a special situation. "This keeps thinking and coordination channels short in crucial situations," he explains.
"We wouldn't have flown if we hadn't been absolutely certain that there was no danger to the passengers and crew," emphasizes the Swiss spokesperson.
No. The crew was larger, as Swiss writes in a communiqué. Two captains and two co-pilots as well as ten flight attendants were on board. By way of comparison: on a regular flight from Dubai to Zurich, one pilot, one co-pilot and ten flight attendants are on board. However, they also serve First Class, which was empty on the special flight. There was also a mechanic on board. In the cargo hold was a container filled with spare parts, such as wheels. In this way, Swiss wanted to remain independent in the event of technical problems on the aircraft in Oman and not stay on the ground any longer than necessary.
Swiss flight personnel are already trained for all possible situations during their basic training and therefore do not need any additional training for a special flight like this, explains Pelzer.
The cabin crew were prepared to look after passengers who had had a nerve-wracking few days and had boarded the plane with strong emotions such as fear, uncertainty or concern for relatives. The crew have experience in dealing with this, he emphasizes.
There is no extra pay for this type of special task, emphasizes Pelzer. "The crew flew this mission with a great deal of professional pride and they were delighted to bring these 211 people home."
According to Swiss, there were 205 adults and six babies on the flight.
Some of the passengers had booked another Swiss flight from the region to Zurich and were transferred to the special flight. "Some of the passengers were referred to us by the FDFA and we advertised the last seats on our booking platform like our other flights."
He cannot make this comparison, says Pelzer, as Swiss does not fly from Muscat to Zurich. It is clear that this flight is a loss-making business for Swiss, "but it is a service that we were happy to provide out of conviction", he adds. The preparation was much more complex than for a regular flight. The pilots had to deal intensively with the airport, the approach procedure, the taxiways and ground handling.
The economy ticket cost around 1000 francs, and a seat in Business Class cost around 2000 francs, explains the Swiss spokesperson.
"There are no concrete plans, but we are monitoring the situation and are still in close contact with the FDFA," explains Michael Pelzer. "If we see an opportunity and receive an order, we will look into the next flight."
