The Swiss airline Swiss International Air Lines has relocated its legal headquarters from Basel to Kloten, in the immediate vicinity of its operational headquarters at Zurich Airport. The move, which took place on May 9, was announced in the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce. Swiss's address was previously located at Malzgasse 15 in the central Basel district of St. Alban-Vorstadt, where foundations, a law firm, and other companies also have their legal headquarters.
The choice of Basel as the original headquarters of Swiss in 2002 was historical. The airline was founded after the collapse of Swissair and was built on the foundation of the regional airline Crossair, which had its headquarters in Basel. After Crossair's transformation into Swiss, the latter's domicile was retained. The founding shareholders likely played a role in this decision, including major Basel-based corporations such as the major bank UBS and the pharmaceutical companies Roche and Novartis. Today's Swiss International Air Lines is also legally domiciled in Kloten. This change, which was announced in the official gazette, was initially reported by Aerotelegraph.com
Farewell to Basel as an aviation location in 2015
However, Swiss's operational management was initially based at its headquarters in Kloten, directly adjacent to Zurich Airport. Now the airline is formally completing the move and relocating its legal headquarters to Kloten at Obstgartenstrasse 25.
The date of the relocation is somewhat ironic, as Swiss had discontinued its scheduled flights from Basel only ten years ago. On May 31, 2015, flight LX486 to London City Airport was the last Swiss aircraft to take off from EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse, where the airline once held a 60 percent market share.
Shorter distances to Zurich authorities as a motivation
The relocation of the legal headquarters from Basel to Kloten is expected to have only minor concrete effects. Only in the area of taxes will the change of canton result. Furthermore, the decision could lead to regional political discussions. In fact, however, it merely formalizes a situation that already existed.
A Swiss spokeswoman explained that the previous headquarters in Basel belonged to a law firm. Since this firm is now being closed down, a new solution had to be found. Basel Airport was not an option due to its location on French territory. "This was the perfect opportunity to bring the official Swiss address to Zurich," said the spokeswoman. This brings numerous advantages. In the future, the Zurich offices and authorities will be responsible for Swiss and no longer those in Basel. "The lines of communication are therefore more direct and shorter." The relocation of the legal headquarters thus underscores the increasing centralization of Swiss in Zurich, where the operational headquarters and the most important airport for the airline are already located.
From grounding to re-foundation: How Crossair became Swiss International Air Lines
The history of Swiss International Air Lines is closely linked to the dramatic decline of its predecessor, the long-established Swissair. Following the unprecedented bankruptcy of SAirGroup, Swissair's parent company, in 2001, Swiss aviation faced profound upheaval. During this turbulent period, the regional airline Crossair played a crucial role by becoming the nucleus of today's national airline of Switzerland.
Since its founding in 1975, Crossair, headquartered in Basel, had developed from a small regional airline into a major European company under the visionary management of Moritz Suter. It served a dense network of regional and European routes and was considered solid and reliable. This stability would prove to be a decisive factor for the continuity of Swiss aviation after the grounding of Swissair.
Crossair’s hour: Building the new national airline
Following the abrupt demise of Swissair in October 2001, Crossair took over a large portion of the remaining flight activities and formed itself into the new national airline of Switzerland. This transition was a complex process that included the acquisition of assets and the redefinition of the strategic direction.
The new Swiss International Air Lines was primarily based on the operational structures and fleet of Crossair. Selected assets of the former Swissair, particularly its lucrative route rights and part of its long-haul fleet, were also incorporated. The exact distribution of the acquired assets was the subject of intensive negotiations. However, it was clear that Crossair's solid foundation, particularly its well-established European routes and its modern regional aircraft fleet, formed the foundation for the new start.
The former Crossair administration in Basel still played a role in Swiss's early days, but over time it was increasingly integrated into the operational headquarters in Kloten. The formal dissolution of the original Crossair administrative structures in Basel took place gradually, parallel to the consolidation of the new airline at its Zurich base.
Crossair Europe: A brief chapter in France
An interesting, albeit short-lived, chapter in Crossair's history was the founding of its French subsidiary, Crossair Europe. It was established in 1993 to offer regional air services from France. Crossair Europe operated primarily from Mulhouse and Strasbourg airports, serving routes within France as well as to destinations in Germany and Switzerland.
Crossair Europe's aircraft fleet primarily consisted of smaller regional aircraft, including types such as the Saab 2000 and the Embraer EMB 145. These aircraft were ideally suited for the regional routes served with lower passenger volumes.
However, Crossair Europe's existence did not last long. In 2002, as part of the re-establishment of Swiss International Air Lines, Crossair Europe was dissolved. The reasons for this were primarily the parent company's strategic reorientation toward its core business from Zurich and the need to pool resources. Some of Crossair Europe's routes were discontinued or integrated into the new Swiss network, where they were deemed strategically relevant.
Thus, the circle closes: From the solid foundation of the regional Crossair, strengthened by selected assets of the defunct Swissair, today's Swiss International Air Lines emerged. The Crossair Europe episode remained a peripheral aspect of this transformation, but it illustrates the expansion efforts of the original Crossair before the profound changes in Swiss aviation at the beginning of the new millennium.
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