The History of Swissair

Swissair was founded in 1931, but it took several years for it to happen. Previously there were two airlines operating out of Switzerland: Balair and Ad Astra Aero. Both companies dated back decades and didn't accept financial help from the government though competing companies did. The two companies merged in 1931 and employed a total of 64 workers. For the first several years the company only offered flights from March through October.

In the 1930s Swissair made history by purchasing American planes. In 1933 the company began offering a trans-Alpine route from Zurich to Milan. Then in 1934 it became famous again for using flight attendants on Curtiss Condor planes, the first time this happened in Europe.

World War II wreaked havoc on airlines in Europe and Swissair was no exception. A few days after the war started, Swissair had to stop flights to France and Germany. The company then stopped London, Paris and Amsterdam flights. Before 1939 was out the company was forced to close, because all its workers were called to work for the national army. It wasn't until 1945 that the company was again able to open its doors and offer flights to the general public.

In the late 1940s Swissair expanded by offering flights to South America, New York and South Africa. Swissair continued relying on private enterprise for support, but that changed in 1948. The Swiss Federal Railways and Swiss Postal Services each purchased shares in the company, eventually owning over 30 percent of the company. Swissair became the national airline of Switzerland and borrowed money from the government to purchase new planes.

Swissair first began experiencing money problems in the 1960s with the purchase of new planes and the addition of new routes. The company then added many other new additions including duty-free shops, catering on flights and baggage handling. By the end of the 1980s it seemed as though the company cared more about making money than anything else, which led to the nickname of the flying bank. The company lost even more money during the Gulf War because of rising costs of fuel.

In the 1990s the company attempted to buy a number of airlines and become even more popular, but the parent company couldn't afford all the purchases. Following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the company lost a large amount of money when people became afraid to fly. Swissair grounded all planes in 2001 when the money ran out and the company couldn't receive credit. The Swiss government loaned some money to the company, but it wasn't enough. In 2002 Swissair officially ceased to exist.