The Airbus A350 program has proven a triumph for the European planemaker, racking up over 1,400 orders since its launch. With over 45 airlines now operating the efficient long-haul twinjet, the A350 continues to attract new orders to cement its position in the widebody market.
The newest member of the A350 club is SWISS, which completed its first-ever A350 revenue service on Saturday morning, ushering in a new era of long-haul travel at the Swiss airline.
SWISS Enters A350 Into Revenue Service
SWISS Flight LX2152 departed Zurich (ZRH) at 07:10, landing in Palma de Mallorca (PMI) at 08:40 after approximately 90 minutes of flight time. The flight had 233 passengers onboard and will be the first of many shorter European flights to familiarize the crew before its long-haul debut next month.
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Field |
Details |
|---|---|
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Flight Code |
LX2152 |
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Date |
25 October, 2025 |
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Aircraft |
Airbus A350-900 (HB-IFA) |
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Departure |
Zurich |
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Arrival |
Palma de Mallorca |
As Simple Flying reported earlier this month, HB-IFA completed its maiden test flight in early October before its delivery to SWISS on October 9, becoming the first of ten A350-900s scheduled to arrive at the carrier in the coming years. The airframe has been given the name ‘Lausanne’ and can seat up to 242 passengers across four cabin classes, with four in first class, 45 in business, 38 in premium economy and 156 in economy.
SWISS Chief Operating Officer Oliver Buchhofer commented,
“Introducing a new aircraft type is always a major undertaking, in technical, operational and commercial terms. Our people, both on the ground and in the air, have performed painstaking preparations to make this moment happen. And our first A350 passenger flight today is a credit to everyone who works day in, day out to ensure that we maintain safe and reliable flight operations.”
What The A350 Brings To SWISS
The airline promises the A350 will completely transform its long-haul product as the flagship for its new ‘SWISS Senses’ cabin and revamped first class and business service. The aircraft will also be a significant step-up in efficiency compared to the A340-300s it is replacing, delivering up to 25% lower fuel burn and 50% reduced noise emissions.
SWISS’ first A350 will be deployed on a handful of other European routes in the coming weeks, flying to the likes of Düsseldorf, Hanover, Malaga and Prague. These shorter routes will be for crew familiarization before the type’s eventual deployment on long-haul services – during this period, the first class cabin will not be bookable and Premium Economy will be offered as Economy with greater legroom.
This means first class won’t make its debut until November 20 from Zurich to Boston, which will be the first flight featuring the full SWISS Senses long-haul experience. The widebody will perform up to five weekly flights to Boston until the beginning of the summer 2026 season, and is also scheduled to fly to Montreal early next year.
Growing List Of A350 Operators
According to ch-aviation data, there are 639 A350 aircraft listed as active at over 45 airlines worldwide. There have been a handful of new A350 operators within the past year, the most significant being Emirates. The Dubai-based carrier took its first A350 delivery in November 2024 and now has 11 aircraft in its fleet.
Additionally, SWISS’ fellow Lufthansa Group subsidiary Edelweiss Air welcomed its first A350 airframe earlier this year, although its planes feature a higher-density layout of 339 total seats.
Among the future operators of the A350 are Saudi Arabian national airline Riyadh Air, which has commitments for up to 50 A350s, along with Egyptair, EVA Air, IndiGo, KLM and Qantas. Airbus has secured over 1,000 orders for the A350-900 and around 360 for the stretched A350-1000, while the A350F is slated to enter service in 2027.
