Swiss International Air Lines’ new non-stop service between Zurich and Singapore commenced yesterday evening with the departure of the first eastbound LX 178 flight from Zurich. The new route had previously been formally inaugurated at the departure gate by SWISS CEO Harry Hohmeister and Thomas Kupfer, Switzerland’s ambassador to Singapore. The new destination – its eighth in the region – further strengthens SWISS’s position in the rapidly-growing Asian market.

SWISS launched its new non-stop Zurich-Singapore service yesterday evening when the first eastbound LX 178 flight, operated by an Airbus A340-300 aircraft, took off punctually from Zurich Airport at 22:45. The new route had previously been formally inaugurated at the departure gate by SWISS CEO Harry Hohmeister and Thomas Kupfer, Switzerland’s ambassador to Singapore.

“Our new non-stop service to and from one of Asia’s prime economic hubs will meet the needs of Swiss business and industry and the broader Swiss population alike,” said Harry Hohmeister at the new flight’s inauguration. “Singapore is very important to Switzerland: several hundred Swiss companies have offices or operations there, and it also has a larger Swiss community than most Asian cities.”

As a global financial and commercial centre with major local industries including manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, Singapore is also a key airfreight hub. And in addition to its 219 seats in a three-class cabin configuration, the Airbus A340-300 that will be operated on the new route offers up to 18 tonnes of cargo capacity.

The new route is actually a return for SWISS. The carrier served Singapore from its foundation until spring 2009, though with an intermediate stop in Bangkok.

The schedule:

Code: Select all

Zurich - Singapore  LX 178  22:45 - 17:15 (the following day)   
Singapore - Zurich  LX 179  23:10 - 06:10 (the following day)

Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. Corporate Communications 13.05.2013

The six members of the Extended Management Board of SWISS have resolved to forgo 5% of their salary from 1 July 2013 until the end of 2015.

Their action is being taken in the light of the persisting extreme difficulties that are being faced by the airline business. Yields are still very low, while fuel costs are likely to remain an additional burden for the foreseeable future. SWISS is also facing the further competitive challenge of a strong Swiss franc.

In taking this action, the members of the Extended Management Board of SWISS are also making their contribution to the broader efforts – particularly under the Lufthansa Group-wide SCORE programme – to achieve an operating result from 2015 onwards that will keep SWISS both competitive and able to fund its future investments.

Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. Corporate Communications 10.05.2013

Swiss International Air Lines is to add Kiev to its European route network from the start of the 2013/14 winter schedules. The Ukrainian capital will receive daily service from Zurich from 27 October onwards. The flights will be operated with Airbus A320 equipment seating 152 passengers.

“Alongside our new long-haul destination of Singapore, we’re also actively investing in our European network, despite the currently adverse business and economic conditions,” explains SWISS CEO Harry Hohmeister. “Kiev is a market with large and steadily growing demand, and we aim to meet this through our new daily service.”

After Russia, Ukraine is the second-biggest export market for Switzerland among the CIS states. Kiev joins Warsaw, Prague, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest, Moscow and St. Petersburg to become SWISS’s eighth destination in Eastern Europe.

Timetable (all times local):

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Zurich-Kiev  LX 2290 departs 09:45 arrives 13:20
Kiev-Zurich  LX 2291 departs 14:10 arrives 15:50

Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. Corporate Communications, 25.03.2013

SWISS adds daily non-stop Zurich-Singapore service in its new summer schedules

Swiss International Air Lines will be expanding its services and capacities to Asia and North America in its 2013 summer schedules. The airline’s Asian route network will be enlarged with the addition of a new daily non-stop flight between Zurich and Singapore from mid-May. In addition, the existing Zurich-Beijing and Zurich-Newark services will be switched from Airbus A340 to Airbus A330 operation, providing greater capacity. SWISS’s European networks from Zurich and Geneva will also be selectively expanded to meet the corresponding seasonal demand.

More services from Zurich
SWISS will be expanding its range of services to and from Asia during the 2013 summer timetable period. From 12 May onwards the airline will offer a new daily non-stop flight between Zurich and Singapore. The new route will be operated with Airbus A340-300 equipment providing 219 seats in a three-class cabin configuration. Singapore is SWISS’s eighth Asian destination from its Zurich hub.

The airline will also be increasing the capacity on its Zurich-Beijing services from the start of the summer schedules by switching these flights from Airbus A340 to A330 operation. Additional capacity will also be offered to and from North America from the end of March, when the equipment used on the Zurich-Newark service is also switched to an Airbus A330 with 236 seats. And, as in 2012, the frequencies on SWISS’s Zurich-Chicago route will be raised from a daily service to eleven flights a week from June onwards.

SWISS is also making selective adjustments to its European services from Zurich in its summer schedules in response to seasonal demand. These will see frequencies increased to various popular leisure destinations, especially in Southern Europe. The airline will add a further daily flight to its Zurich-Lisbon route from April onwards. And two new destinations, Olbia and Catania, will join the network from July to August. Olbia receives two weekly services, while Catania will be served with one weekly flight. SWISS will also be expanding its Zurich-Barcelona service from 28 to 32 flights a week over the same July-to-August period, while services on the Zurich-Dublin route will be increased from seven to nine weekly flights.

Seasonal service expansion for Geneva, too
SWISS will also be expanding its range of services from Geneva to a total of 15 destinations in its 2013 summer schedules in response to seasonal demand. The two new destinations of Olbia and Catania will be added to the Geneva-based network from May onwards, each receiving twice-weekly service. Frequencies will also be increased from May on the Geneva-Malaga route (to four weekly services) and the Geneva-Palma de Mallorca route (to five weekly flights). And a further point will be added to Geneva’s destination portfolio at the end of June: Porto, which will receive twice-weekly service until the beginning of September.

73 destinations in 39 countries
The SWISS route network will extend to 49 European and 24 intercontinental destinations in the airline’s 2013 summer schedules, or a total of 73 destinations in 39 countries. The services will be provided by a fleet of 92 aircraft (including five aircraft operated under wet-lease arrangements).

Edelweiss Air / SWISS leisure flights
SWISS will also be providing further summer air services to attractive leisure destinations all over the world with its partner Edelweiss Air. From Zurich, the new services introduced last summer to Tampa Bay and Vancouver will be offered once again. Weekly services will also be provided from Zurich to various other destinations including Male and Punta Cana. Geneva-based customers will be offered weekly services to Heraklion, Kos, Larnaca and Rhodes.

In a further extension of the partners’ collaboration, one of SWISS’s three daily Zurich-New York flights will be operated by Edelweiss Air from the end of March onwards. SWISS’s sister carrier will be performing these flights using a SWISS Airbus A330-300 featuring SWISS’s usual three-class product.

The summer timetable period runs from 31 March to 26 October.

Friday, 22 March 2013

Airplanes selected by Lufthansa Group for long-haul fleet renewal of Swiss International Air Lines

Boeing, the Lufthansa Group and Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) announced a commitment today for six 777-300ER (Extended Range) airplanes. The airplanes, valued at $1.9 billion at list prices, were selected for the airline's long-haul fleet renewal. Boeing looks forward to working with SWISS to finalize the details, at which time the order will be posted to the Boeing Orders & Deliveries website.

"The Boeing 777-300ER is the ideal size and range to meet our Swiss market needs," said Harry Hohmeister, chief executive officer of SWISS. "We have made a landmark decision to further invest in an advanced aircraft fleet to retain our competitive edge over many of our competitors who are operating aircraft with more than 300 seats on similar routes."

"The 777-300ER is a favorite among the world's leading airlines, bringing unrivaled twin-engine efficiency and reliability to the long-range market," said Todd Nelp, vice president of European Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We are honored by SWISS's decision to put the 777-300ER at the forefront of its fleet renewal and look forward to playing a key role in its future success."

The Boeing 777-300ER is the largest long-range twin-engine commercial airplane in the world, seating up to 386 passengers in a three-class configuration and has a maximum range of 7,825 nautical miles (14,490 km).

"With the 777-300ER, SWISS's passengers will experience the most spacious interior cabin ever developed," said Bob Whittington, vice president and chief project engineer for the 777 Program. "With these airplanes, SWISS will be able to offer wider seats, wider aisles, more headroom and more seating flexibility."

SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group and currently serves 69 destinations across 37 countries worldwide from Zurich, Basel and Geneva international airports with a fleet of more than 90 narrow and wide-body airplanes.

ZURICH, March 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/