For over seventy years the name Swissair stood for all things Swiss on
the airways. The 'flying arrow' emblem of Switzerland's national airline
represented a company with deep financial reserves, enabling it to
invest in the latest jets and the most modern technology. Yet from the
1970s onwards world events brought about a dramatic reversal in its
fortunes. A new strategy of growth through investment in many other
airlines misfired when these carriers became a loss-making burden, and
the decision of the Swiss population to remain outside the European
Economic Area restricted the airline's opportunities for increasing
passenger uptake. By 2001, in the wake of the collapse in traffic
following the 9/11 atrocities, the carrier was reliant on government
loans for its continued survival, and in 2002 Swissair ceased all
operations, its routes and equipment being resurrected by rival
Crossair. The humiliation did not end there. In 2007 Swissair's entire
former management board stood trial on charges relating to
mismanagement, making false statements, and forgery. Commercial aviation
author Charles Woodley has pieced together the story of Swissair's rise
to a glittering reputation for quality and reliability, and the factors
leading to its downfall.
