The first images of SWISS’ first A350-900 aircraft, currently being assembled in Toulouse, France, have been released to the public.
A Linkedin post shared by members of the airline’s communications team shows the aircraft, already with its tail showing the carrier’s distinctive national flag emblem, taking shape at the Airbus final assembly line (FAL).
SWISS will receive ten A350-900s between the summer of 2025 and 2031, in order to renew and expand its long-haul fleet.
These aircraft are part of a 25-aircraft order placed by SWISS parent company, the Lufthansa Group, in 2019.
In 2022, SWISS announced that it would receive five A350s to replace four of its ageing A340-300s. This was followed in December 2024 by the announcement that the airline would obtain an additional batch of five more aircraft of the type.
SWISS plans to operate its A350-900s with a four-class cabin fitted with three first class suites, 45 business class, 38 premium economy and 156 economy class seats.
As part of its preparations to welcome the new aircraft type in early February 2025, SWISS has started training its A350 pilots at a new full-flight simulator installed by Lufthansa Aviation Training Switzerland in Opfikon, near Zurich. More than 50 pilots will undergo training in the SWISS A350 simulator during 2025, with another 90 slated to be trained from 2026 onwards as the airline builds up its A350 fleet.
