Swiss puts new plane into service

Swiss has today (April 20th) put the first of its new Airbus A330-300 aircraft into commercial service.

The plane left Zurich at 13:00 local time bound for New York and carrying 227 passengers.

According to Swiss, the travellers onboard the plane experienced a "totally new inflight product", with amenities including lie-flat seats in business class and extra leg room in economy.

The new Airbus A330 went through a traditional 'roll-in' ceremony at Zurich Airport before taking off, which confirmed its name as 'Schwyz' after the town in central Switzerland.

Christoph Franz, chief executive of the airline, said: "Swiss today stands on firm foundations in a turbulent business environment. All our personnel have worked very hard for this moment.

"In putting our first more efficient Airbus A330-300 into service, we are further consolidating our market position and underlining our ongoing strategic investments in our corporate future."

Travellers can catch flights to Zurich from hubs including Birmingham Airport, London Heathrow and Manchester Airport and from the European city can connect to Swiss flights to international destinations including Los Angeles, Shanghai and Sao Paulo.

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