Swissair calls for FD financial team for crisis comms

Troubled airline Swissair has drafted in a team of financial crisis

communications experts from Financial Dynamics.

The group has turned to FD for external PR support as it begins to sell

off its holdings in loss-making French airline Air Liberte AOM in a bid

to bring the company back onto a firm financial footing.

Swissair corporate communications chief Rainer Meier confirmed FD would

work on a broad brief, consisting of corporate and financial PR,

investor relations and issues management.

Meier joined last month to replace Beatrice Tschanz, who resigned at the

end of April (PRWeek, 18 May).

On FD's appointment, Meier said: 'It's important for us to have the

financial community in London well informed - we have been rather weak

there in the past.

'We want Financial Dynamics to establish an information line with

analysts, investors and the financial press to improve our performance

there in terms of communications.'

He added: 'They will also help advise the group on how the financial

community reacts to certain messages given out,' he added.

Swissair, which recently appointed former Nestle chief financial officer

Mario Corti as chairman, posted losses of pounds 1.1bn for 2000.