5 Milestones The Boeing 777-300ER Has Allowed SWISS To Achieve
The airline company is closing in on a decade of 777-300ER operations.
5 Long-Haul Development
Zurich to the much reaches of the world
The 777-300ER (Prolonged Array) remains one of the longest-range airplanes on the market today more than twenty years after performing its maiden flight. With a range of approximately 7,370 NM (13,650 kilometers), the twinjet can easily handle ultra-long-haul paths of 16 hours and above, enabling operators to serve most major city pairings worldwide. While its existing A340-300 fleet still had the range to handle SWISS’ long-haul network, the 777-300ER can carry over 120 more travelers with its configuration, a significant 55% increase. While the majority of these additional seats were in economy, the aircraft also expanded its business cabin with 15 more seats.
Spec
- Boeing 777-300ER
- Jet A340-300
Array
- 7,370 NM (13,650 kilometers)
- 6,700 NM (12,400 kilometers)
Passenger Capacity
- 340 (F8 C62 Y270)
- 219 (F8 C47 Y164)
MTOW
- 351,535 kg (775,000 lbs)
- 275,000 kg (606,000 pounds)
Engines
- 2 × GE90
- 4 × CFM56
With the 777-300ER’s incorporation, SWISS was able to double its seating capacity on its lucrative United States network during its first year of operating the Boeing twinjet.
4 Greater Operational Performance
Twinjet operations replaced costly A340 quadjet
With its two GE90 turbofan engines, the 777-300ER was a much more efficient monster than the A340 and its 4 CFM56-5C engines. According to SWISS, the airplane delivered a massive 23% reduction in fuel cost and emissions per seat compared to the A340-300 and pointed to the airplane’s reliability and safety and security. The 777-300ER is one of the most reliable planes throughout the 777 family, primarily due to its higher seat capacity reducing its fuel burn per seat.
3 Building Zurich Airport Center
3 new lounges in Terminal E
With the 777-300ER enabling SWISS to enhance its long-haul product, the provider also made massive investments at its Zurich Airport center to upgrade the ground experience. On the same day its first -300 ER was delivered, the airline opened 3 new lounges at Zurich’s Terminal E – the Fabulous, Senator, and Business Class Lounges. Today, there are nine dedicated SWISS lounges at Zurich Airport, including another 4 facilities in Terminal A and 2 in Terminal D.
2 Cabin Overhaul
New three-class cabin upgrade
With the arrival of the 777-300ER came a new cabin that took the carrier’s product to the next level. Its initial configuration equipped three cabin classes – 8 in first, 62 in business, and 270 in economy – with total capacity for up to 340 passengers. The airline has since reconfigured its entire fleet to include its premium economy product, reducing main cabin economy capacity to 226 passengers with a new 24-seat premium economy cabin.
Cabin Class
- Delivery Configuration (2016-2022)
- Reconfiguration (2022-)
Initial
- 8
- 8
Business
- 62
- 62
Premium Economy
- —
- 24
Economy
- 270
- 226
Total Seats
- 340
- 320
As SWISS prepares to receive its initial A350 this summer, images have emerged from the Airbus factory in Toulouse showcasing progress on the aircraft.
1 Noting The Next-Generation Of SWISS
The airline remains to improve its fleet. SWISS’ new 777-300ERs marked a turning point in the carrier’s fleet in what the airline termed its ‘Next-Generation Airline of Switzerland’ approach. SWISS will soon be inaugurating the most modern widebody from European planemaker Airbus, with its first A350-900 scheduled to arrive this summer.
