A staggering 50,000 UK travellers could be impacted by mass flight cancellations – as one Europe’s most popular airlines admits a pilot and fleet shortage has spearheaded the sudden move
One of Europe’s most respected European airlines has sparked chaos after axing a staggering number of flights over the summer season. Swiss International Air Lines (also known as SWISS) suddenly cancelled 1,400 journeys, blaming the decision on a pilot and fleet shortage,
With disruption expected to last until October 2025, experts over at AirAdvisor say the move could have a ‘ripple effect’ across Europe and beyond – and has the potential to affect a whopping 50,000 UK travellers. This is because SWISS currently operates direct flights four major UK airports: London Heathrow, London City, Manchester, and Edinburgh.
It is predicted around 10-15 UK flights are operated by SWISS per day, with the majority leaving from London Heathrow, and represent 10-12 per cent of the mass cancellations. While this directly impacts travellers flying to Zurich, the airline’s hub, it may also disrupt passengers flying indirectly to long-haul destinations – or those that have yet to book their in-bound flight home.
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Aviation Expert & Founder of AirAdvisor, Anton Radchenk argues the cancellations are just the ‘tip of the iceberg’ and reflect wider issues in the European aviation industry. “2025 has already been notorious for flight cancellations, especially due to persistent industrial action and ATC issues, be it in Germany, Italy, Greece, France or Finland,” he added.
“With this latest wave of SWISS cancellations, summer just got more complicated for UK travellers. We’re not seeing a demand problem but a staffing and scheduling bottleneck. Flights are getting axed not because people aren’t lying, but because airlines don’t have enough fully trained pilots to operate them.”
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SWISS Cancellations – will I get my money back?
If you’re impacted by the axing, you will be entitled to a full refund and free re-routing under the EU261 regulation. If your flight’s departure is less than 14 days from the time of the SWISS cancellation announcement, you’ll get between £220 and £520, depending on the distance of the flight and length of delay.
“With these proactive adjustments to our flight schedule, our aim is to maintain the highest possible level of stability and reliability for our passengers,” SWISS said in a statement sent to the Mirror. “On long-haul routes, this affects flights to Shanghai until the end of June, and to Chicago until the end of June, as well as during September and October. On short- and medium-haul routes, this affects flights from Geneva Airport to various destinations between early May and the end of October. From Zurich Airport, we will have to cancel individual flights to various European destinations in August and September.
“We regret that we are unable to offer the affected connections as originally planned. In such cases, we inform the affected customers as early as possible. Schedule adjustments are made as far in advance as possible to minimize inconvenience and to find the best possible alternative travel solutions for our passengers.”
The huge blow to Brits is another reminder to always book your travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday. This can help protect you from losing money after paying for hotels and excursions etc which you may not be able to attend due to flights being cancelled.
As previously reported, travel insurance experts at Staysure advise finding a policy that covers injuries, cancellations, and lost or stolen items as a bare minimum. “If you’re off on a cruise or snow-slope adventure, it’s important to remember that you will need to take out specific cover for those types of trips,” they said in an exclusive interview with the Mirror.
“If you’ll be doing activities such as water sports or hiking, ensure your policy covers these… Leaving things till the last minute may mean that you’re not covered if anything goes wrong in the build-up to your trip and while away.”
If you’re an avid globe trotter, booking annual insurance rather than taking out a policy for each individual trip can often work out better value for money. Plus, it saves the hassle of filling out multiple forms.
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