Meaney To Lead Swiss Sales Efforts

Swiss International Air Lines began the year with a new chief commercial officer who aims to restore profitability and further improve the premium travel experience. William Meaney, 42, is a managing director in the airline's top management team and responsible for strategy, network, products, services, marketing, sales and cargo. Most recently in senior management at Star Alliance, Meaney now reports directly to Swiss CEO Andre Dosé.

"Swiss is a startup, a turnaround and a merger at the same time, and flies more than 120 aircraft," Meaney said. "That has not been achieved before. I was brought in to take the next step in the commercial portfolio and do it in a fairly difficult environment." The carrier last April launched from the combined remnants of defunct Swissair and regional carrier Crossair.

Meaney is confident Swiss can recapture its prestige as a high-quality international airline and achieve a higher yield mix. "We are still a fairly large long-haul carrier and, in that segment, product still is important," he said. "Corporate customers have known the value proposition for a long time, but it still is a very competitive market and we need to increase efforts to get more of our fair share of the premium passengers."

To that end, Swiss will begin deploying lie-flat business class seats aboard 13 new Airbus A340 aircraft and modified Airbus A330-220 aircraft.

On the alliance front, Swiss in November was granted antitrust immunity with American Airlines by the U.S. Department of Transportation. "Part of it is keeping up with United/Lufthansa and Air France/Delta," Meaney said, "but the trick is going a step further." With that goal in mind, the two carriers closely will coordinate schedules in Swiss' Zurich hub "to provide seamless and more efficient service." Swiss, meanwhile, will continue strengthening other bilateral airline agreements with an eye on joining a global alliance. Though much still needs to be worked out, Oneworld, anchored by AA and British Airways, appears to be the top choice.

Swiss reported a CHF582 million (US$ 401 million) net loss for the first nine months of 2002. In November, it announced a new plan designed to improve annual results by more than $270 million and achieve profitability by 2004. "I am pretty confident, given the performance up to this point, that it is a matter of keeping the momentum," Meaney said.

Meaney in February 2001 was named CEO of the alliance management team at Star Alliance. Prior to that, he served for three years as executive vice president of alliances, network management and global sales at South African Airways during that carrier's successful turnaround.