Description

Swissair (German: Schweizerische Luftverkehr-AG; French: S.A. Suisse pour la Navigation Aérienne)[2] was the national airline of Switzerland between its founding in 1931 and bankruptcy in 2002.

Swissair was formed from a merger between Balair and Ad Astra Aero.[3] For most of its 71 years, it was one of the major international airlines and known as the “Flying Bank” due to its financial stability, causing it to be regarded as a Swiss national symbol and icon[citation needed]. It was headquartered at Zürich Airport, Kloten.

In 1997 the Swissair Group was renamed SAirGroup (although it was again renamed Swissair Group in 2001), with four subdivisions: SAirLines (to which Swissair, regional subsidiaries Crossair and Balair, and leasing subsidiary FlightLease belonged), SAirServices, SAirLogistics, and SAirRelations.