Business EconomyPosted at: Oct 28 2026 5:01PM


Swiss targets profitability on Bengaluru-Zurich route before daily expansion

Bengaluru, Oct 28 (UNI) Swiss International Air Lines is targeting profitability for its newly launched Bengaluru-Zurich route before scaling up operations to a daily service, betting on India's growing demand for direct international connectivity despite geopolitical uncertainty and rising aviation costs.
The airline launched five weekly flights on the route on Tuesday as part of a long-term investment strategy, with executives emphasising that the decision was driven by sustained market demand rather than short-term disruptions caused by the West Asian crisis.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Swiss and Lufthansa Group executives said their immediate priority was to establish a profitable operation before considering further expansion.
"Our first-year target is to make this a profitable operation that we can scale up to a daily flight," Swiss International Airlines CEO Jens Fehlinger said.
The airline declined to disclose route-specific investment figures, passenger targets, revenue projections or a break-even timeline, citing commercial considerations.
The inaugural flight from Zurich was nearly full, with only five seats vacant, while the return service recorded comparatively lighter bookings. Fehlinger said it was too early to assess the route's overall performance, pointing to seasonal variations in passenger traffic between India and Europe.
Despite uncertainty arising from geopolitical tensions and higher oil prices, Fehlinger said its expansion plans were based on long-term assessments.
Aircraft typically remain in service for 25 to 30 years, while new cabin products can be used for up to a decade, making the route a long-term commitment rather than a short-term commercial opportunity.
Fehlinger also pledged to maintain competitive fares across cabins despite rising operating costs, seeking to attract passengers from Bengaluru and other cities in Karnataka and neighbouring regions.
The Bengaluru launch is part of the Lufthansa Group's wider expansion in India. The group plans to increase capacity on its Frankfurt-Hyderabad and Frankfurt-Chennai services and introduce a second daily Munich-Delhi flight from March.
Switzerland Tourism official Simon Bosshart said the expansion reflected confidence in India's growth prospects and increasing demand for travel between India and Europe.
On the India-European Free Trade Association Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement, they said improved conditions for cross-border investment could generate additional business travel over time. However, its direct contribution to passenger traffic could not yet be measured separately.
Bosshart said India generated more than 600,000 overnight stays in Switzerland in 2025, underlining its importance as a source market with significant growth potential.
Officials said Indian travel patterns were shifting from conventional group tours towards independent travel, family holidays and smaller groups, with younger travellers increasingly exploring destinations beyond established attractions such as Interlaken and Mount Titlis.
Switzerland Tourism said it would continue working with Indian travel operators to promote wider itineraries, while maintaining the country's premium positioning rather than pursuing visitor numbers through discount-led packages.
Cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues, recently appointed Switzerland Tourism's friendship ambassador in India, is expected to help connect the destination with younger travellers.
Swiss said it would initially rely on its existing Indian workforce, including personnel based in Mumbai and Delhi, alongside Swiss cabin crew for the Bengaluru service. Further local recruitment could be considered as the operation expands.
The airline's immediate challenge is to convert initial demand into sustained two-way passenger traffic and profitability before committing to daily flights.
UNI BDN
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