Q: Peter, what are your impressions after roughly nine months as CEO of Skyguide?
What impressed me most were the people: highly committed and passionate employees who strongly identify with their mission and the company. That is my highlight and what motivates me every day.
I also found challenges. I knew before joining that Skyguide was facing a number of issues, but what stands out is the professionalism and dedication of the teams. Their commitment gives me confidence that we can address those challenges successfully.
Q: One of the biggest topics at the moment is the financial outlook. How is Skyguide working with the Performance Review Body (PRB), and what are your expectations for the near future?
Financially, I see four main challenges.
The first is the still-unapproved National Performance Plan. The second concerns the financing of services provided at regional aerodromes. The third is the financing of activities such as business continuity management and infrastructure renewal, where some other ANSPs receive more direct state support. The fourth is our own responsibility to improve efficiency and better control costs.
Regarding the PRB process, we are waiting for a final decision from the European Commission. We need clarity because uncertainty makes forecasting and budgeting difficult. I expect a decision before the summer period.
The relationship with the PRB has been constructive and professional. We were given the opportunity to explain why certain costs are included in our National Performance Plan.[PW1]
Q: Could the coming changes affect the number of employees?
I want to be clear that our objective is not per se to reduce headcount. We are focusing on improving efficiency, reducing complexity and simplifying processes.
We launched the Skyefficiency programme with an internal task force which identified approximately 120 possible measures. Many have nothing to do with staffing and focus on efficiency gains. However, because personnel costs represent roughly 70% of our overall costs, some measures will have an impact on staffing.
No decisions have been made yet and we want to avoid redundancies wherever possible through options like internal mobility, early retirement schemes and voluntary transitions.
We will continue recruiting and training air traffic controllers. We do not have enough controllers today, so stopping the training pipeline is not an option.
Q: You mentioned regional airports as one of the financial challenges. Could Skyguide’s scope of activities be reduced, or will the mandate remain unchanged?
The mandate remains unchanged.
Regional airport services represent around seven percent of our revenue and are not part of our core national mandate. The mandate from the Board of Directors, which matches my personal conviction, is that Skyguide should continue providing services at regional aerodromes – as we consider them being part of Switzerland’s aviation infrastructure. This is also a reason why I do not want to see another provider taking over.
They are satisfied with the quality and safety of the services we provide, but naturally they are concerned about costs.
Q: The question of operating two control centres in a relatively small airspace has resurfaced. What is Skyguide’s position?
I want to make clear that this discussion is completely separate from the Skyefficiency programme and we are having it with the Board of Directors. The topic goes back to discussions surrounding the Single European Sky and later to Skyguide’s Virtual Centre programme.
We want to take a fresh look at all options. A single physical control centre is one option among many, but we are still at a very early stage. We expect to begin the detailed discussion about our longterm strategy during the second half of this year.
Another important element will be whether Skyguide should continue developing certain solutions itself or rely on industry providers. This “make-or-buy” discussion will also be part of our strategic review.
Q: The Executive Board (EB) has been reduced from nine members to five. Was this intended as leadership by example?
Yes, absolutely.
If we ask the entire company to become simpler, more focused and more productive, the EB must be part of that effort. Change needs to start at the top.
This is not only symbolic. A smaller EB also allows for clearer responsibilities, faster decision-making, and a stronger focus.
I believe this sends a strong signal, internally and externally, that we are serious about improving efficiency and that leadership set an example.
Q: Is there one message you would like people to take away from all these changes?
We are making Skyguide fit for the future.
If we do nothing, the challenges we face today will become more difficult tomorrow. We need to restore certainty, maintain a clear focus on our mandate and ensure that Skyguide remains capable of fulfilling that mandate in the years ahead. That is the driving force behind everything we are doing today.
[PW1]And why the regulatory framework in Switzerland is not comparable to that of most European countries.
