The first ever Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) Airbus A350 has arrived at its new home at Zurich Airport (ZRH) in Switzerland after departing Toulouse Blagnac Airport (TLS).
On October 9, 2025, shortly before 13:00 the Airbus A350-900, registered HB-IFA, departed the famous Airbus production facility in France, adorned in its distinctive ‘Wanderlust’ livery.
After a short journey the SWISS Airbus A350 finally landed in Zurich at around 15:25 where it was greeted by crowds of well-wishers.
Three SWISS pilots flew the brand-new long-haul twinjet to Switzerland from Airbus’s Toulouse factory.“
“Today is a great day for us. With our Airbus A350, we’re transporting our customers into a new era of long-haul air travel. This aircraft represents everything we aim to be moving forward: efficient, advanced, and clearly positioned as a premium airline, from Switzerland and for Switzerland. With the A350 we’re taking a huge leap forward – technologically, ecologically, and in terms of our passengers’ inflight experience,” said SWISS CEO Jens Fehlinger.
He added: “It’s a very special thing to welcome a brand-new aircraft with a completely new cabin – something that will probably happen only once in anyone’s airline career. And it’s fascinating to see just how much progress and how much precision are embodied in this aircraft.”
Named ‘Lausanne’, the Airbus A350-900 is the first of 10 due to join the SWISS fleet between now and 2031.
A livestream of the new Airbus A350-900 landing at Zurich Airport was shown on YouTube by SWISS and the airline was encouraging people to track the flight on flightradar24.
The A350’s livery was not hard to spot when it landed, as it features over 360 picture elements including dragons, bears and even former Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.
“Behind the design is a love letter to Switzerland – creative, playful, and full of stories. From iconic landmarks to cultural traditions, each illustration celebrates a unique facet of our country,” the airline said.
First Airbus A350-900 for Swiss leaving Toulouse on delivery flight include wing wave, #airbus @Airbus congrats @FlySWISS #swiss #avgeek #aviation 🇨🇭 pic.twitter.com/DdPNvlzHin
— Eurospot (@cliper31) October 9, 2025
SWISS’s first Airbus A350 has already undergone extensive testing on the ground at the Toulouse facility, including a high-speed takeoff abort.
SWISS plans to operate its A350-900s with a four-class cabin fitted with three first class suites, 45 business class, 38 premium economy and 156 economy class seats.
All ten aircraft will be delivered complete with the airline’s new ‘SWISS Senses’ cabin, a newly developed product that will eventually also feature on Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 fleets. This marks the first time that SWISS is offering a suite concept.
The aircraft are part of a 25-aircraft order placed by SWISS’s parent company, the Lufthansa Group, in 2019.
