After a lengthy period of extended anticipation, SWISS has finally taken delivery of its first example of the Airbus A350-900. These modern widebody twinjets will be used to level up its long-haul fleet, and the first unit is expected to make its transatlantic bow to Boston as soon as November 20.
SWISS, which has named its first Airbus A350-900 ‘Lausanne’ and painted it in a special wanderlust-themed livery, has a grand total of 10 examples of the type on order, with the remaining deliveries expected to take until 2031. As well as being a more modern and efficient long-haul aircraft, the A350 also heralds a step forward as far as the passenger experience is concerned, as it will feature a new cabin.
Touchdown From Toulouse
According to SWISS, the aircraft in question bears the registration HB-IFA, and it touched down at the 
Star Alliance member’s Zürich (ZRH) hub yesterday afternoon. As pictured above, data from Flightradar24 shows that its journey from Toulouse Blagnac Airport (TLS) in southwestern France took rather longer than would normally be the case, as it flew several circuits over Switzerland before landing.
Indeed, the brand-new widebody twinjet took to the skies at 12:56 local time, and was in the air for two-and-a-half hours before touching down at 15:26. The aircraft’s arrival was marked by a water cannon salute from the airport’s fire service, with scores of employees and fans watching the proceedings from the observation deck. Commenting on the A350’s arrival, Jens Fehlinger, the CEO of SWISS, explained:
“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.”
A New Era Dawns
Fehlinger went on to add that, “with our Airbus A350, we’re transporting our customers into a new era of long-haul air travel.” These jets will be used, among other things, to replace SWISS’s aging fleet of Airbus A340-300 quadjets, which, according to ch-aviation, are 21.9 years old on average.
They will also represent a key step forward in terms of the Swiss flag carrier and Lufthansa Group member’s onboard product, as they feature the new ‘SWISS Senses’ cabin. According to aeroLOPA, this four-class layout will feature four first class suites, 45 business class flatbeds (both four-abreast, 1-2-1), 38 premium economy recliners (seven-abreast, 2-3-2), and 156 economy class seats (nine-abreast, 3-3-3).
The new cabin, the airline says, “offers a travel experience that raises comfort, design and technology to new heights,” and “reflects SWISS’s aspirations to provide a truly premium air travel product that is fit for today.” On the sustainability side of things, SWISS will also benefit from the A350’s reduced emissions, which are 25% lower than its predecessors, and the jet is also quieter than those that came before it.
The A350 Will Initially Operate Short-Haul Routes
As is often the case when an airline inducts a new model of widebody aircraft into its fleet, SWISS will initially deploy the Airbus A350-900 on short-haul routes within Europe. While not the kinds of corridors that the type will serve in the long term, this usage allows crews to get up to speed with the new aircraft. The first of these will see SWISS fly the A350 from Zürich to Palma de Mallorca (PMI) on October 25.
All in all, the carrier plans to deploy the type on six different European routes as its pilots and cabin crew get to grips with the brand-new aircraft. The shortest of these is the 55-minute domestic hop from Zürich to Geneva (GVA), with Düsseldorf (DUS), Hannover (HAJ), Malaga (AGP), and Prague (PRG) also set to be served by the type between late October and mid-November. After that, long-haul flights await.
The Airbus A350-900’s first intercontinental departure at SWISS will see it fly westbound across the North Atlantic Ocean from Zürich to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) on November 20. This will also represent the first time that its new long-haul inflight service has been conducted on an aircraft that features the SWISS Senses cabin, so, needless to say, there is plenty to look forward to on that flight!
