SWISS enhances its Middle East offering

New aircraft will increase capacity in the Middle East by 9% for SWISS

Swiss International Air Lines has chosen the Middle East as the second market to receive its new Airbus A330-300 aircraft in June.

The aircraft features a new business-class seat which was revealed at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.

Nine A330-300 aircraft will be introduced onto SWISS’s fleet by 2011.

SWISS managing director and head of intercontinental markets Marcel Biedermann told Aviation Business the airline was on a quality drive to strengthen its position in the premium segment.

“SWISS has a total investment of well over US$878 million for the nine new Airbus A330-300s and we expect to raise the airline’s earning capacity by replacing nine smaller aircraft of the present A330-200 fleet.

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“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,” Biedermann explained.

The introduction of the A330-300 onto the Dubai route will increase the airline’s capacity in the Middle East by almost 9%.

But the move comes at a difficult time as the airline reported a drop of 1.7% in total passenger numbers for 2009 compared to 2008.

However Biedermann remained confident that the new aircraft would fly full.

“In the Middle East our passenger numbers have not dropped and the Zurich-Dubai/Muscat route was one of the most profitable routes for us in 2008. Therefore the Middle East remains high on our priority list when sourcing new destinations.”

The CEO also revealed the third and fourth A330-300s will serve Indian routes.