Even so, Dose, who became CEO a year ago after a decade as deputy head of flight operations, said he never doubted the validity of the plan to take two-thirds of Swissair's fleet. He drafted it in May after the national carrier that controlled Crossair posted its worst-ever loss in the previous month.
"It's the ideal size," he said. "If you don't do it, then you'd have to stop flying in Switzerland altogether because this is what makes the most sense economically."
The success of the plan so far has made Dose into a public figure in Switzerland. He can't buy a newspaper or eat out without being accosted by people, and receives phone calls and letters at home, he said.
It's an unusual status in a country where film stars and royalty can spend their holidays without drawing a crowd, and government ministers walk unaccompanied to their offices in Bern.
Dose said he's worked 16 to 18-hour days for five months to prove his plan will work. The same determination marked the start of his career, when he worked night shifts as a 16-year-old schoolboy to pay for flying lessons.
"I'm by nature someone who doesn't get overstressed," he said. "Actually, the more problems I have on my back, the quieter and the more focused I get."
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