SWISS unveils new flagship Boeing 777-300ER with a new cabin layout and route network plans
SWISS are entering a new era in its long-haul aircraft fleet with the arrival of the first of its nine new Boeing 777-300ERs next January. The new twinjets will seat 340 passengers in SWISS configuration. They will also offer a new state-of-the-art cabin in all three classes, which will include Wi-Fi. The ‘Triple Sevens’ will be deployed on routes to and from Asia, South America and the US West Coast from summer 2016 onwards.
A further element in its ‘Next-Generation Airline of Switzerland’ strategy, SWISS will begin the renewal of its long-haul aircraft fleet in 2016. A total of nine new Boeing 777-300ERs (‘extended range’) will be gradually assimilated into the fleet. As a result, SWISS will be responsible for creating a total of 360 new cabin crew jobs within the next years.
Introducing a state-of-the-art cabin in all three classes
The Boeing 777-300ER will offer 340 seats in SWISS configuration; eight in First Class, 62 in Business Class and 270 in Economy. The cabin interior will be totally redesigned to provide comfort and aesthetics, meeting the most discerning of demands in all three seating classes.
The SWISS First Class seat will be transformable into the occupant’s own private suite that includes a 32-inch screen, the largest in the industry, as well as having electric window blinds and their own wardrobe.
SWISS First
As a result of customer feedback, SWISS Business Class passengers will enjoy a new seating arrangement to offer optimum privacy and freedom of movement, while the seat cushion’s firmness can be individually regulated. All the seats in the SWISS Business Class will have the option to be quickly and easily converted into a lie-flat bed that is over two metres long.
SWISS Business
With new seat-cushion technology and further innovations that include a large personal touchscreen, SWISS Economy customers can also look forward to a new air travel experience. Outside the regular cabin service, all Economy customers will be able to make use of a self-service kiosk offering a wide range of drinks and snacks.
All nine Boeing 777-300ERs will also feature wireless internet via a broadband connection, enabling passengers to surf or send emails on their laptop, tablet or smartphone device.
“Our new Boeing 777-300ERs will be setting new benchmarks in terms of our guests’ overall comfort and travel experience,” says SWISS CEO Harry Hohmeister. “On top of that, with their state-of-the-art engines, our new twinjets will give us substantial savings in fuel consumption and there will be a reduction in carbon emissions emitted.”
Deployment on the longest routes
The Boeing 777-300ER offers the ideal range to serve SWISS’s farthest destinations non-stop from Switzerland. From summer 2016 onwards, the new aircrafts will be deployed primarily on services to Hong Kong, Bangkok and Los Angeles. San Francisco, São Paulo and Tel Aviv will also receive a Boeing 777 service several times a week.
The first six SWISS Airbus A340s to be withdrawn with the arrival of the new Boeing 777-300ERs will be returned to their lessors. Three further A340s will be replaced by new Boeing 777-300ERs between 2017 and 2018. These aircraft will be transferred to SWISS’s sister carrier, Edelweiss.