SWISS used the naming ceremony as an occasion to offer a first viewing of the interior of its advanced new long-haul twinjet: the A350 is the first SWISS aircraft to be equipped with the completely newly designed ‘SWISS Senses’ cabin.
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Center stage at the event were the new arrival’s ‘godparents’: Swiss tennis star Stan Wawrinka, who was born and raised in Lausanne, and aviation fan Rayan Favre, the winner of a contest from SWISS. HB-IFA will make its first revenue passenger flight, from Zurich to Palma de Mallorca, on 25th October. 9 more factory-new Airbus A350s will join the SWISS fleet between now and 2031.
“I’m incredibly proud to be godfather to SWISS’s first Airbus A350, especially as it now bears the name of my hometown,” Stan Wawrinka said. “That means so much to me, and I feel honored to have played my part in this milestone for SWISS. I can hardly wait to fly on ‘my’ A350 and experience it all for myself.”
SWISS’ first Airbus A350 has been given a special livery, too: ‘SWISS Wanderlust’, an homage to Switzerland and its diversity with lively illustrations of iconic places, buildings and cultural motifs. “We’re dedicating this aircraft with its unique livery design to the whole of Switzerland,” explains SWISS CEO Jens Fehlinger. “It reflects and embodies all the variety that makes us who we are, as a country and an airline. And we’re very proud that it will now fly our homeland all over the world.”
An annual CHF 1 billion investment
SWISS presently invests some CHF 1 billion every year in its future – in new aircraft, the latest cabins, digital innovations and more sustainable technologies. One key pillar in this investment strategy is its fleet renewal program: between now and 2031 the company will replace its entire Airbus A340 fleet with state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900s, which consume some 25 percent less fuel and thus also generate significantly lower carbon dioxide emissions.
“These investments represent a clear commitment to our future and to our mission as Switzerland’s leading airline,” CEO Fehlinger continues. “With the Airbus A350 and our new cabin interior, we’re investing not just in comfort but also in making air travel as sustainable as possible. Because we want SWISS to be the airline that Switzerland is proud of in 10 or 20 years, too.”
SWISS First and SWISS Business
The new SWISS First cabin offers the traveler an entirely new ‘suite concept’ that ensures extensive privacy and individuality. Each First Class suite has its own sliding door, wardrobe, spacious dining table and cushioned fine-wool surfaces with stylish wood features. Two adjacent suites can also be combined into a ‘Grand Suite’ to make a private loft above the clouds that is perfect for couples, for families or for any traveler who puts an extra accent on even more space and exclusivity.
The SWISS Business cabin has been redesigned from the floor up, too. Every one of its 45 seats offers direct aisle access and can be transformed into a lie-flat bed up to 2.2 meters long. SWISS Business customers can choose from classic single seats, extra-space ‘throne’ seats or double-seat business suites.
Premium Economy
The popular SWISS Premium Economy Class is substantially more spacious on the new Airbus A350. At 38 seats, it’s larger than the Premium Economy cabins of any existing SWISS long-haul aircraft; and with a seat pitch of almost a meter, a 48-centimeter-wide seat and an enhanced seat recline function, it offers tangibly more comfort, too.
SWISS Economy travelers will also feel the many benefits of the new SWISS Senses cabin, in the form of its new ergonomic seats and its optimized spatial design. Thanks to their slim construction, the new seats offer more at-seat room and mobility; and every seat features a 13.3-inch HD screen, Bluetooth connection for the traveler’s own headphones, and USB-A and USB-C ports.
First revenue flight
SWISS will initially deploy its first A350 on short-haul routes in the coming weeks, to ensure that the new aircraft’s pilots complete their practical type training as efficiently as possible. HB-IFA’s first revenue passenger flight will be from Zurich to Palma de Mallorca on 25th October, while its first long-haul operation will be from Zurich to Boston on 20th November.