Swiss Airlines is reportedly offering 4,000 cabin crew members a big payout to voluntarily resign from their jobs
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/swiss-airbus-aircraft-091725-531e789190724e0c88dd28d28fa5aa0f.jpg "Swiss Airbus A220-300 aircraft or former Bombardier CS300 BD-500 model")
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NEED TO KNOW
• Swiss Airlines is offering cabin crew up to $19,000 to voluntarily resign amid overstaffing issues
• The offer comes as the airline is having to reduce employee schedules to address staffing challenges caused by fewer flights
• Layoffs are not planned as Swiss Airlines hopes voluntary measures will resolve staffing imbalances by early 2027
Swiss Airlines is offering 4000 cabin crew members $19,000 to voluntarily resign from their jobs, according to reports.
The offer is being made by the airline to reduce the number of its employees. It is being launched by Swiss Airlines from Friday, March 20, Swedish outlets Die Presse and Corriere del Ticino reported.
Swiss Airlines created the final incentive to target the issue of overstaffing flight attendants after operating fewer flights in recent months, due to a “pilot shortage” and “engine problems,” according to the outlets.
A Swiss Airlines spokesperson told PEOPLE in a statement that cabin crew members will receive a lump sum of up to $19,000 if they voluntarily terminate their contract by April 30 and leave their position by August 2026.
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Swiss Airlines is hoping the offer will prevent any future layoffs. "Redundancies are not planned at this stage and would be a last resort if the voluntary measures do not have sufficient effect.,” the spokesperson continued in their statement to PEOPLE.
A considerable proportion of the payout will also go towards the employees participating in the airline’s "Study & Fly" model, designed for employees taking a study course, while agreeing to work on a reduced schedule with the airline, according to Corriere del Ticino.
The payout is also being given to employees who opt for a "retired employment relationship" of at least one year, with the guarantee that they can return to the company afterwards, per the outlet.
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Swiss Airlines said that its recruitment for cabin crews is “constantly changing” due to seasonal and operational developments. They predict that over the next few months, up to 300 cabin crew members will be “temporarily” working in flight operations, per Die Presse.
"We expect this situation to gradually normalize in the coming months and to balance out again by the beginning of 2027 at the latest,” the airline spokespersons told the outlet.