Swiss International Air Lines: The New Airbus A350 Fleet and the Farewell to the Old A340s

History and positioning

From its creation, Swiss has cultivated an image of quality and precision tied to Swiss identity, standing out within the Lufthansa group for its onboard service and its care in selecting catering suppliers, including the long-running "Taste of Switzerland" program that brings regional dishes on board in collaboration with local chefs.

The fleet

The fleet numbers about 94 aircraft, with the Airbus A220 (formerly the Bombardier CSeries) used on short and medium haul after Swiss became the first airline in the world to put it into service. On long-haul the most significant change is the arrival of the Airbus A350-900: Lufthansa initially allocated five to Swiss, but the order has been doubled to ten, with the first aircraft delivered in summer 2025 and further deliveries expected through 2031. The A350s will gradually replace the four-engine Airbus A340-300s, now rather dated even though they remain in service.

Routes and network

From Zurich, Swiss operates an intercontinental network that includes North America, East Asia, Africa and the Middle East, along with a dense short-haul network to the main European cities designed to feed connections at its hub. Geneva serves as a secondary base, mainly for links with international organizations and business traffic.

On board and service

On intercontinental routes operated with the largest widebodies, Swiss still offers a separate First class, an increasingly rare option among European airlines, along with Business, Premium Economy and Economy. The loyalty program is Miles & More, shared with the other airlines of the Lufthansa group, including ITA Airways since the latter joined the group.

What passengers say

Passenger reviews tend to confirm the brand's reputation for reliability, with particularly high ratings for onboard service on intercontinental flights and for punctuality out of Zurich, while the most frequent complaints concern the high price of tickets compared with other European carriers on the same routes.

• Most appreciated: quality of catering and onboard service, operational punctuality from the Zurich hub, comfort of the new cabin on the Airbus A350s.
• Most criticized: fares generally above the European average, lower availability of First seats on the most popular flights, codeshares that are sometimes complicated to manage with the other Lufthansa group airlines.

Anyone looking for a high-level onboard service on intercontinental routes will appreciate Swiss; those traveling on a tight budget will generally find fares above average compared with other Lufthansa group airlines on the same routes. If possible, it is better to book an intercontinental flight already operated with the new Airbus A350 rather than the old A340, because the difference in cabin comfort between the two aircraft remains noticeable until the fleet replacement, planned for completion in 2031.