ZURICH — Swiss leisure carrier Edelweiss (WK) has become the first airline in the country to add an A350 to its fleet. 

The airline took delivery of the aircraft, registered as HB-IHF, on March 14, 2025. Today, Airways reports the event for the christening of the aircraft as “Piz Bernina,” followed by the aircraft tour.

The airline is set to commence its first commercial service to Tenerife on April 1, 2025. The flight departs Zurich (ZRH) at 11:15 as WK214, reaching Tenerife (TFS) at 14:50. The return flight departs TFS at 16:20, arriving at the base at 21:30.

This is a one-off flight as part of the crew familiarization, and many other intra-European destinations follow as part of it. The first long-haul flight is planned for Las Vegas (LAS), starting May 15, 2025.

Exploring the cabin

Edelweiss A350 has 339 seats, 246 in Economy, 63 in Economy Max, and 30 in Business class. LATAM (LA) previously operated the first four A350s acquired by WK. Hence, according to Edelweiss design, these aircraft will initially operate in the original operator's configuration with slight modifications to the cabin.

The seats in the Economy class have a pitch of 76-81 cm, configured in a 3-3-3 layout. The Economy Max seats have a pitch of 89 cm, with a layout similar to the Economy class. All the seats have a large, high-resolution screen and USB power.

The Business class consists of 30 flat-bed seats with a 2-2-2 configuration. Unlike the in-flight entertainment (IFE) in the Economy cabin, the Business class guests experience IFE on a 19-inch screen.

A new cabin configuration will be revealed to the public around November 2025. The first four A350s will then undergo retrofitting, whereas the new configuration will be present in the latest A350s coming directly from the factory in Toulouse.

The new configuration will have an upgraded Premium Economy class and significant changes in the Business class.

Future of Edelweiss

With the arrival of the A350, the airline is on its way to retiring the current fleet of Airbus A340s. Currently, the airline fleet consists of five A340-300s. The A340s have 314 seats, an increase from the latest widebody addition.

The latest generation of engines and lightweight materials make the A350-900 one of the most fuel-efficient aircraft. It consumes 25 per cent less fuel and produces 25 per cent less CO₂ than the four-engine Airbus A340-300, with noise emissions up to 50 per cent lower.

The cross-crew qualification (CCQ) from Airbus helps ease the transition of the current pilots and cabin crews to the new aircraft type. Lufthansa Aviation Training Switzerland carries out the training for all Edelweiss crew members.

With the arrival of A350s this year, the phasing out of Airbus A340s will be relatively quick. However, the retirement of the last Airbus A340 is expected to take place in the winter of 2027. 

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