#1 Summer and winter in the skies

Twice a year, all airlines, including SWISS, publish a new schedule: one for summer and one for winter. For instance, the 2025 summer schedule began on the last Sunday in March and ended on the last Saturday in October. 

This global synchronization is coordinated by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which defines when seasonal schedules change. The goal is greater predictability across the vast system of airlines, airports, ground operations, and safety authorities worldwide.

 

#2 How new destinations make it into the schedule

It may sound simple: we travel the world, discover fascinating places, and add them to our route network. As appealing as that may sound, the reality is far more complex.
SWISS follows a clearly defined market strategy, built on in-depth market analyses. When a new potential destination emerges, such as Poznań in Poland, it is closely monitored to determine whether it could be a profitable addition to our network. 
Feedback from internal and external stakeholders then comes into play. Many factors are assessed: the airport must have available slots. Internally, aircraft and crew availability must be ensured. For destinations outside Europe, traffic rights are crucial. These determine whether and how often SWISS may serve a particular route.

 

#3 When destinations change or frequencies shift

With the 2026 summer schedule, SWISS will serve 112 destinations, some of them, especially in Europe, several times a day. Yet not every route remains in the network permanently. If demand declines or performance weakens, a route may be discontinued or its frequency adjusted. 
Such decisions are never made on the basis of a single figure but after analyzing a broad range of data over time. Conversely, routes that perform strongly and show high demand may see more frequent service, as long as it is operationally feasible.

 

#4 Patience before a first flight

A new destination does not appear overnight on the route map. From the initial idea through internal evaluations, often within the Lufthansa Group, to the actual first flight can easily take a year or more, particularly for long-haul routes. 
Before the first takeoff, there is another important step: the sales launch. Tickets must be available early enough to give travelers time to book well ahead of the first flight.

 

#5 Constant change, constant adaptation

The teams behind network planning at SWISS work on multiple scheduling periods simultaneously and must keep track of an environment that is constantly changing.  The airline industry is considered highly volatile. That means factors like demand, competition, geopolitical developments, and capacity can shift at any time. This requires a high degree of flexibility from the planners.

#6 Coordination is a team effort

In 2024, SWISS carried around 18 million passengers across 51 countries. To make planning work, several teams are involved in network planning. But that’s far from enough. At every step, numerous other departments at operational and executive levels are involved. Sister companies and the Lufthansa Group also work closely with SWISS throughout the process. At the end of each planning period, every flight schedule is the result of a successful team effort.