SWISS To Fly The Airbus A350

DALLAS - SWISS International Air Lines (LX) is set to welcome five Airbus A350-900s to its fleet come 2025 onwards. The twin jets will gradually replace LX's older four-engined Airbus A340-300s and be deployed on its intercontinental network from its Zurich (ZRH) Hub.

For the Lufthansa Group-owned airline, it's a major step in its fleet modernization and a significant part of its sustainability roadmap.

The five A350s will come from an order of 25 of the type by Lufthansa in 2019. Photo: Alberto Cucini/Airways.

Airline Comments

"We are very pleased to have achieved our turnaround after the coronavirus crisis and be back on a sound financial track," said the airline's CEO Dieter Vranckx.

"As a result of this, we are now in a position to invest again in the future of our company, in our people and in the quality that we offer our travelling guests. With this planned substantial modernization of our long-haul aircraft fleet, we are setting a vital course to sustainably maintain our competitive edge over the longer term.

"Our decision to acquire the Airbus A350-900 is a clear commitment to further enhancing the sustainability of our flight operations. Our new long-haul twinjet will play a substantial part in achieving our ambitious climate goals. And in adding this latest-generation aircraft to our fleet, with all the additional inflight comfort it will provide for our guests, we are also further confirming our position as a premium air carrier."

https://youtu.be/lOzJDli6nOU

Video courtesy of SWISS.

A Decision that Favored the A350

The airline had analyzed deeply whether the A350 or the Boeing 787 would be the right fit. One of the most prominent reasons for the final choice fell upon the A350s wider fuselage and cabin, as LX wished to retain its first-class cabin. At present, five A340-300s fly for the carrier, and upon their departure from 2025 onwards, one of them is destined to join sister airline Edelweiss (WK).

In the longer term, more A350s will likely join the airline and replace the fourteen A330-300s that will remain operational until 2030. The carrier also has twelve relatively new Boeing 777-300ER jets that will remain part of the intercontinental fleet for years.