Swiss e-bike maker Flyer cuts jobs amidst difficult market conditions

Flyer AG, easily a Swiss pedelec pioneer, says "difficult market conditions" force it to restructure. The company is letting go of nearly a third of its staff in Switzerland, but Flyer wants to continue building on "Swissness".

In concrete terms, Flyer will lay off 80 of 302 staff working at its Headquarters in Huttwill. The job cuts concern administration and manufacturing – the company can make around 400 electric bikes a day in Huttwill. Local manufacturing is part of the “Swissness”, as is the premium positioning of Flyer e-bikes, mostly known for their touring capabilities and prime pricing. The company still claims a leading position in the Swiss market. It also sells e-bikes via subsidiaries in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands and sales teams in France and Italy.

In today’s announcement, Flyer AG quotes the “current difficult market situation in the entire bicycle industry with a market correction after the pandemic”, which has also affected the company. Management considers the restructuring as an “unavoidable step” to maintain Flyer’s economic and international competitiveness in the long term.

The Swiss company is not the only e-bike business facing strong headwinds. In July 2023, the Dutch manufacturer VanMoof had filed for insolvency. Then in September, Lavoie, a British e-scooter supplier owned by McLaren Applied, announced the takeover of VanMoof.

Flyer AG (Biketec AG until the end of 2018) was established in 2001 and took over activities from its predecessor BKTech AG. The company’s growth in the e-bike boom years necessitated a move from Kirchberg to a new site in Huttwil in 2009.

flyer-bikes.com