Great responsibility
The catwalks of New York Fashion Week have little in common with the hangars at Zurich Airport where the SWISS aircraft are housed. Instead of designing glamorous evening wear for Dior and Yves Saint Laurent, Isabelle Bitterli is at stand 23, waiting for the delayed Airbus A330 from Delhi to arrive.
As an aircraft technician with SWISS Maintenance, Isabelle bears a tremendous amount of responsibility. Before an aircraft is allowed to take off, it is thoroughly checked by the 22-year-old and her team. Nothing happens without her say-so.
“As well as the tremendous responsibility that goes with my job, it is above all the uncertainty before the checks that never fails to fascinate me.”
SWISS Technician
Instant fascination
Isabelle first learnt about being a professional aircraft technician at a job fair in Basel, and was instantly fascinated by it. She decided to embark on the four-year training course as a polymechanic, specialising in aircraft maintenance. She was taken on by SWISS after completing her basic training with Lufthansa Technik, and has been working shifts for the company since successfully qualifying in 2014.
At last they can get going. When the Airbus A330 finally taxis in, you can see the healthy tension in her face. She is already well acquainted with the aircraft's technical history.
"I alternate between early and late shifts in my job. Although we usually work on the apron, I also enjoy being in the hangar, where we work on bigger jobs."
Meticulous work
The young aircraft technician starts the extensive external checks of the aircraft while passengers are still leaving the Airbus A330, registration HB-JHH. A colleague works on the engines and landing gear while Isabelle walks around the Airbus, looking very closely for any damage that could have been incurred during the flight. "As part of a team, I am also responsible for seeing that the aircraft can be released to fly again. I am fully aware of this responsibility, and that's why I always do my utmost to ensure that I work to the very best of my abilities," she says, tightening a single screw on the rump, exchanging a few words with the captain, and then heading for the cabin to change a faulty light bulb.
"The crew has already given me a lot of input in advance. But what I will ultimately come across during my check will only become clear on site"
Boeing 777 and Airbus A220
What she enjoys above all else about her work with SWISS is the variety, working as a team and the fact that she is so close to the wide world of travel on a daily basis.
Boredom is not a big factor in her life. With the Boeing 777-300ER and the Airbus A220, which have been part of the SWISS fleet since 2016, she also has the opportunity to work on entirely different aircraft types.
At 12:55 hrs, HB-JHH takes off again, fully checked and on schedule – destination Chicago.
Published: 07.12.23