SWISS selects Dubai for inaugural Airbus A340-300 flagship flight

The aircraft, flown by Captain Marco Mueller, Chief Pilot for the A340/A330 and his crew, is named Matterhorn, after Switzerland's legendary mountain in Zermatt, and arrived at Dubai airport on schedule on Tuesday at 18:00 (UAE Time).

Felix Rodel, Area Manager for SWISS International Air Lines, Arabian Gulf, said of the inaugural flight: "We are honoured that Dubai has been chosen as the destination for this inaugural flight. With the addition of the new Airbus A340-300 aircraft to the fleet, we are looking to further improve our offering, while we also now operate one of the youngest fleets in the industry."

The aircraft is the first delivery from Airbus Industrie of nine A340-300 - seven to be delivered by the end of the year - and a further two in 2004.

"We are highly appreciative that SWISS has chosen Dubai for the first flight of the new A340 - this really demonstrates their commitment to the region. We will always strive to offer the ultimate in service to all airlines and passengers," said Mr Mohammed Al Tayer, Director of Public Relations, Department of Civil Aviation.

Switzerland's national carrier has placed great emphasis on comfort and service in all three cabins including a state-of-the-art inflight entertainment system offering various options from individual video choice to internet facilities.

The SWISS flagship features a new generation of ergonomic seats in all three cabin classes, providing all passengers with substantially more legroom. The A340-300 carries 228 passengers in a three-class layout: eight in First; 48 in Business and 172 in Economy Class. The new flat-bed seats in Business Class are arranged in three pairs abreast, therefore removing the unpopular middle seat. Meanwhile, the seats in the First Class cabin convert into lie-flat beds at the touch of a button.
The new aircraft takes a major environmental leap forward - generating half the noise of its predecessor the MD-11, when approaching to land, while also producing fewer pollutant emissions and consuming a third less fuel.

"The new Airbus A340-300s are a very important element in our fleet renewal programme," explained Rodel. "With this exceptional product we can offer greater comfort, better environmental credentials and also lower our maintenance costs."

SWISS operates a total of 26 weekly flights from the Middle East, including daily flights from Dubai, four weekly flights from Cairo and Karachi, three weekly flights from Riyadh, Muscat and Tehran and twice weekly from Jeddah. Middle East travellers flying with SWISS this summer, can choose from 58 European destinations - all with easy and convenient transfers through its Zurich hub.