Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is restructuring the top management of its flight operations. This entails the creation of the new position of Head of Operations, whose holder will be responsible for ensuring safe and smooth overall operations, including strategic planning, coordination and organization in such areas as cockpit crew, training, technical services and ground handling. The new position of Head of Operations will be assumed by Oliver Buchhofer, currently SWISS’s Head of Flight Operations, with effect from April 1.
In his new Head of Operations capacity Buchhofer will also serve as SWISS’s Accountable Manager, bearing overall responsibility for ensuring safe operations in compliance with the provisions of the company’s official air operator’s certificate. This function is currently performed by Chief Operating Officer (COO) Thomas Frick. Frick will be stepping down from his COO function as planned at the end of March, but will remain active with SWISS on a project basis. As in earlier years, the function of COO will be additionally assumed by the CEO. This will reduce the SWISS Management Board from four to three members.