Having been delivered to SWISS International Air Lines over a month ago, the carrier’s first A350 flight has been operating various short-haul flights in the past month. However, on Thursday, the carrier deployed the aircraft on its very first long-haul flight from its base in Zurich, across the Atlantic, to the United States.
Moreover, for the first time, passengers were able to fully experience their new premium onboard product, known as SWISS Senses, across all cabins of the aircraft. While the carrier has stated that the type will continue to be deployed on short-haul services to train the airline’s crew, the carrier has now received a second A350 and has also announced it will be the second route in the airline’s network to see the type.
Long-haul For The First Time, The SWISS A350!
While the carrier received its first Airbus A350-900 (HB-IFA) on October 9, SWISS has been flying the type on short-haul sectors within Europe, until earlier this week, when on Thursday, November 20, the aircraft was deployed on its first long-haul flight, from Zurich Airport (ZRH) to 
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS). Furthermore, this was also the first time the airline made its full range of services and products, as part of the airline’s new SWISS Senses product, available to all passengers.
With a flight time of close to eight hours to Boston (and over six hours back to Zurich), data from FlightRadar24 shows that since Thursday, the carrier has been flying the type on the ZRH-BOS route. However, the airline has also stated that the type will continue to be deployed on short-haul service to ensure its crew and staff get adequate training on the new aircraft type. This will either be with the first of its A350s, or possibly with a second A350, which appears to be registered under the operator (HB-IFB), which does not have any flights currently recorded.
SWISS CEO, Jens Fehlinger, states:
« Our new Airbus A350 marks the next step in our development, in technological, commercial, and guest experience terms, »
« It’s quieter, more efficient and more comfortable than any other aircraft we have operated to date. »
Just 1 Long-Haul Route So Far: Where SWISS Will Fly Its New Airbus A350
Initially, the airline will deploy its new Airbus A350 on short-haul routes within Europe.
A Brand New Onboard Experience – SWISS Senses
The SWISS Senses concept is the airline’s redesigned onboard product, across all its cabins, to provide an enhanced in-flight experience for SWISS’ long-haul passengers. The product was first introduced with the airline’s first A350, which was delivered last month, and the carrier has confirmed that these products will be available on all its upcoming A350s, but has also confirmed that these products will be retrofitted into the airline’s existing fleet of widebody aircraft.
As per the airline’s fleet page, SWISS’ new A350 can accommodate a total of 242 passengers across four cabin classes. The aircraft is configured in the following manner:
|
Cabin |
First Class |
Business Class |
Premium Economy |
Economy Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Number of Seats |
3 |
45 |
38 |
156 |
|
Cabin Configuration |
1-1-1* |
1-2-1 1-1-1 (Alternating) |
2-3-2 |
3-3-3 |
It is worth noting that in the first class, the central suite is named « Suite Plus » as it is large enough to accommodate two passengers, making it perfect for passengers traveling as couples. The business class, on the other hand, much like Lufthansa’s Allegris, sees different types of seats configured in an alternative manner. In the case of SWISS Senses, the airline has five different Business Class seats, with the seats in the bulkhead named « Business Suite ».
Coming To More Aircraft And More Routes
With one A350 already flying for the carrier, the airline is expecting a further nine examples of the type to join its fleet by 2031, all of which will have the Senses product onboard. Additionally, the airline also plans on retrofitting its existing fleet of widebody aircraft, such as the Boeing 777-300ERs and the Airbus A330-300s, in the coming years.
The airline confirmed that the A330 retrofit will commence during the first half of 2026, with the retrofit on the 777s commencing shortly thereafter, and the airline aims to have its entire fleet of long-haul aircraft to be equipped with the SWISS Senses cabins by 2030. This would then suggest that the airline’s tiny sub-fleet of the A340-400s will not be receiving the cabin retrofit, and that it will be exiting the airline’s fleet by the end of this decade.
As for the aircraft route, the airline has already commenced its services to Boston with four weekly services, and is aiming to deploy the type on a second long-haul route on February 23, 2026, connecting Zurich with Montreal, Canada.