Switzerland-based Edelweiss will be expanding its fleet for its long-haul operations later this year. The leisure airline said it expects delivery of an Airbus A340-300 aircraft in July.
The four-engine widebody aircraft will be the carrier’s fifth A340. Edelweiss, a subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group, said the plane will enable it to meet the increasing demand for flights to their long-haul holiday destinations.
All-Airbus operator
Currently operating for Edelweiss’ sister airline, Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), HB-JMC, is a nearly 20-year-old A340, flying exclusively for Swiss since October 2003. Bernd Bauer, CEO of Edelweiss, commented on the carrier receiving the jet, according to Aeroin.
“We will be adding two more aircraft this year, an A320ceo in April and an A340-300 in July, and we are hiring staff for this. We only fly Airbus aircraft, we benefit from that as pilots can fly both short and long flights, we want to maintain that, so much so that the successor to the A340 will certainly be an Airbus. We are looking at the A340, but it depends on other decisions by the Lufthansa Group. In theory we can operate the A340 until 2030, 2031, but we want to replace it until 2026 or 2027.”
With its home base at Zurich-Kloten International Airport, Edelweiss operates four Airbus A340-300s: HB-JMG, HB-JMF, HB-JME, and HB-JMD. All aircraft had reportedly operated solely for SWISS and were delivered to Edelweiss between September 2016 and August 2018.
“The additional Airbus A340 will enable us to meet the increasing demand for flights to our long-haul holiday destinations,” Bauer noted. “Planning work is currently underway for the upcoming modifications to the aircraft’s cabin.”
According to Aviacionline, Edelweiss’ Airbus A340-300s are currently used on routes between Switzerland and Vancouver, Calgary, Denver, Las Vegas, and Tampa. Outside North America, the airline utilizes the jet on routes to Havana, Cancún, Punta Cana, Puerto Plata, Montego Bay, San José, Liberia, Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro, Seychelles, Mauritius, and Malé.
Booming summer demand
Last Summer, the carrier carried 304,039 passengers and reported an occupancy rate of 84%, allowing the airline to exceed its pre-pandemic activity levels for the first time. According to the figures, the numbers represent a 3% increase in the number of passengers carried compared to July 2019. The airline also completed 16% more flights and increased its international destination network by 30%, with service to a total of 74 airports last summer.
“Our guests are eager to travel again and trust us again after an uncertain period of popularity,” Bauer said. “We are very pleased with the above average positive customer feedback.”
The airline also noted that it maintains a promising outlook for the upcoming autumn and winter boreal seasons, according to Aviacionline.
Leisure & Long-haul
In 1999, Edelweiss commenced its long-haul operations using the Airbus A330-200. In March 2011, the slightly larger A330-300 was added to its fleet. Five years later, the carrier retired the A330-200 and sent it to Brussels Airlines. In turn, the airline welcomed the A340s inherited from SWISS to expand its international and long-haul network. That same year, Edelweiss introduced a new livery on one of its Airbus A320-200s, which ultimately became the airline’s standard livery.
In 2021, the A330-300 was retired from the carrier, leaving the A340 as the only aircraft to facilitate long-haul flights. According to the airline, the quadjet’s interior is configured to 314 seats with 27 business class, 76 in Economy Max, and 211 in Economy.
Source: Aeroin, Aviacionline