Last A330-200 flight at SWISS

[sn26567]

The last Airbus A330-200 in SWISS service made its final flight for the airline earlier today. Aircraft HB-IQA, which arrived in Zurich from Tel Aviv at 08:33 this morning, has now been withdrawn from service.

This means that all SWISS long-haul services are now in the hands of Airbus A330-300 and A340 aircraft. All these aircraft are operated with a First/Business/Economy Class cabin, making SWISS the only airline in Europe to offer all three classes on all long-haul flights.

[tolipanebas]

SWISS the only airline in Europe to offer all three classes on all long-haul flights.

Indeed, other airlines don't offer F class to all of their destinations, although in all fairness, the fact LX does, is mainly because it makes their long haul fleet more homogenous. I've been on LX flights where F class was used to accomodate upgraded C class pax and actually there were no real F pax at all, but okay, such upgrades from business to first don't really cost much and if it makes the fleet lean and easy to swap around, why not? Pax won't mind for sure!

A small side step, but I feel it's a pitty SN isn't offering F class on (some) of its long haul routes: notably LAD and FIH would do well from having a real premium product for instance...

[regi]

I am getting old, having seen the phasing out of several Swiss airplanes I flew with ( as a passenger )
MD-11, MD-80 and now the A330-200.

[Hommie]

This A330, HB-IQA will be in Brussels for SN the next month. (begin october). HB-IQC will be the second.Begin next year? IQA will be reconfigured ( cabin ) after all the others ( FV,FW,FO,FM,FN ) have been reconfigured.

[fretn]

So it's permanent? Are the 330-200 going to SN?

[Darjeeling]

I think it's in the lessor's will to find a new home for the two frames at the same time with the same operator.

SN lost the opportunity on OS's A330 a few years ago because TAP agreed to take all the frames at the same time (thus at a lower unit cost) which wasn't on SN's plans.

A seventh would mean new AFI destinations, let the speculations begin...

IQA has the old Sabena-Swissair seats, hence its exclusive use on the TLV runs.

[Bralo20]

Not the youngest anymore...

Both IQA and IQC are from 1998 (august and december) but still younger then the A333's in SN's fleet...

Any news which immatriculation both planes will get at SN?

[tolipanebas]

A seventh would mean new AFI destinations, let the speculations begin...

it needn't automatically mean new AFI destinations: more frequencies to exisiting destinations and/or less triangulars flights can also be a good way to make us of the second A330 for 2012.

[RoMax]

I think it's in the lessor's will to find a new home for the two frames at the same time with the same operator.

If I'm correct the two last A332's of are owned by LX itself and not leased. As fas as I know they were offered for sale at some point.

[Flanker]

SN's getting LX's left-over PW A332's. Not a bad start for certain but it's hardly a commitment. First of all, it's harder to make money with the smaller A332's. All the costs are very close to the A333 but it carries 20% less passengers and cargo.

I don't know what the business case is here. As Jet Airways has proved in the meanwhile, it's hard to make money with A332's. Sending A332's with high CASM on the transatlantic price battlefield to feed Africa doesn't sound like a very compelling idea. Don't forget that those SN flights are going to free up some capacity on the UA, AA and CO flights, making fares even more competitive.

I guess that SN deserves the benefit of the doubt. As to the other A332, the rumor mill is turning and turning and we might be in for a pleasant surprise.

[Bralo20]

If the A332 are going to be deployed on TATL missions this means maybe that there is an option to connect the west coast (LAX/SFO?) with Brussels?

Wasn't SFO being examined by SN?

[galaxy]

I am getting old, having seen the phasing out of several Swiss airplanes

Then you must be at least 9 years old ,since Swiss was founded on the 1 april 2002.

[HighInTheSky]

HB-IQA was ferried today to MAN for new paint.

We all know by now these 2 will come to SN.
New immatriculations should become OO-SFY and OO-SFZ.

[OO-ITR]

HB-IQA was ferried today to MAN for new paint.

We all know by now these 2 will come to SN.
New immatriculations should become OO-SFY and OO-SFZ.

wow looks like they are in a rush. I guess we will see this bird quickly in BRU then?

[RoMax]

wow looks like they are in a rush. I guess we will see this bird quickly in BRU then?

If I'm correct the first one will replace the A333's that will undergo their C-check in the winter. Normally they use an expensive wet lease (like Blue Panorama) or something like that. And I tought they start with C-checks in November.

[Bralo20]

According to Wiki SN should have 14 orders???

Anybody more news about that? It seems that this was updated this night or so since I added the A332's yesterday and the amount of orders was (much) less?

[HighInTheSky]

According to Wiki SN should have 14 orders???

Anybody more news about that? It seems that this was updated this night or so since I added the A332's yesterday and the amount of orders was (much) less?

2 A332's
4 A320's (2 in 2012 and 2 in 2013)
6 A319's (1 this month, 1 in 2012 and 4 in 2013)
2 Q400's (wetleased)

Think that is about the whole planning for the next 2 years. So the 14 is correct...

[sn26567]

[Flanker]

2 A332's
4 A320's (2 in 2012 and 2 in 2013)
6 A319's (1 this month, 1 in 2012 and 4 in 2013)
2 Q400's (wetleased)

Think that is about the whole planning for the next 2 years. So the 14 is correct...

Oh my. This is embarrassing. No vision, no common sense, this plan is completely useless.
The big handicap at SN is the Avro RJ and the lack of more lucrative long-haul.
No, instead they're going to invest in the retirement of the B737, add more A319/A320 overcapacity and costly wetleases, take some high seatmile cost 332's to operate on the transatlantic bloodbath routes.

This is the perfect plan to put SN at a 100 million loss in 2012. It won't be pretty and what excuses are we going to hear this time? At least we'll know who to blame when this goes down the toilet.

[cnc]

Oh my. This is embarrassing. No vision, no common sense, this plan is completely useless.

maybe at first sight but its actually a good scenario
i'm not sure how much the operational cost for a turboprop would be for SN but i'm sure the wetlease cost per a/c isn't going to be much higher
same story for the A332's, SN got a good deal + they need them and the market isn't really full of idle A333's waiting for airlines to operate them
you could argue about the 737 vs A319/A320 but if the lease contracts expire why wouldn't you replace them with better equipment?