SWISS gets ready to deliver the new A330-300 for ME market

Dubai: Swiss International Air Lines, the national carrier of Switzerland, has chosen the Middle East to be the second market to receive the all-new A330-300 aircraft fitted with the latest innovations in seats and in-flight entertainment this coming June.

Marcel Biedermann, Managing Director, Head of Intercontinental Markets of Swiss International Air Lines said, "SWISS has a total investments of well over CHF1 billion ($878 million) for the nine new Airbus A330-300's and we expect to raise the airline's earning capacity by replacing nine smaller aircraft of the present Airbus A330-200 fleet. The first of the new A330-300 took off from Zurich to New York last April and the second aircraft is due to arrive in Dubai come June. We expect complete delivery by 2011.Also, the new aircrafts will reduce SWISS's CO2 emissions by around 13 per cent.

"SWISS is on a quality drive to strengthen its position in the premium segment. Investments made since 2004 helped SWISS to build new lounges, improve in-flight products and services in premium classes; eventually provide new three-class product on entire intercontinental fleet – the only airline in the world to offer a First Class cabin on all its long-haul aircraft," added Biedermann.

SWISS is the first airline to offer the revolutionary air comfort system to passengers enabling individual settings of whether to have a firmness of a futon or softness of a waterbed. The air cushion is placed in all body-contact areas such as back-rest, seat-cushion and leg-rest. The air cushion enables seat weight reduction, leading to lower fuel consumption for the A330-300.