Edelweiss Buying Airbus A350s, Retiring Airbus A340s | Digital Noch

SWISS’ leisure subsidiary, Edelweiss Air, has introduced plans to utterly overhaul its lengthy haul fleet.

Edelweiss buying six A350-900s as of 2025

Zurich-based Edelweiss Air at the moment has a fleet of 18 plane, together with 13 Airbus A320s and 5 Airbus A340-300s. The service has a mean fleet age of almost 20 years, and now plans to modernize its fleet. Edelweiss Air will purchase six Airbus A350-900s, which is able to exchange the service’s 5 Airbus A340-300s:

• The primary A350-900 will be part of Edelweiss’ fleet by the summer time of 2025
• By the top of 2026, all present A340-300s shall be retired
• With this fleet renewal, Edelweiss’ lengthy haul fleet measurement shall be restored to pre-coronavirus ranges
• Edelweiss is buying some A350-900s that used to fly for LATAM, because the airline retired these plane in the course of the pandemic; Delta additionally flies some ex-LATAM A350-900s
• These A350s aren’t a part of the Lufthansa Group’s general A350 order, because the airline has dozens of these jets on order

Right here’s how Edelweiss Air CEO Bernd Bauer describes this fleet renewal:

“The modernisation of the long-haul fleet is a milestone in Edelweiss’ virtually 30-year historical past. Edelweiss will thus function one of many youngest long-haul fleets in Europe from 2026.” 

“The design of the Airbus A350-900 units new requirements in effectivity with state-of-the-art applied sciences and excellent aerodynamics. It is among the most environmentally pleasant long-haul plane on the planet. Newest era engines and the usage of light-weight supplies make the twin-engine Airbus A350-900 probably the most fuel-efficient wide-body plane. It consumes 25 per cent much less gasoline and produces 25 per cent much less CO₂ than the four-engine Airbus A340-300, and noise emissions are as much as 50 per cent decrease.”

I’ve gotta say, I’ve all the time been a fan of Edelweiss’ livery, and I believe it appears completely attractive on the Airbus A350!

Edelweiss Airbus A350 cabins & interiors

What ought to we count on from the interiors of Edelweiss’ Airbus A350s? For the primary 4 plane, Edelweiss will initially simply supply the identical product that LATAM used to supply on these planes, with slight modifications to the branding. Meaning the airplane will characteristic 339 seats, together with:

• 30 absolutely flat enterprise class seats, in a 2-2-2 configuration
• 63 further legroom financial system seats, in a 3-3-3 configuration
• 246 financial system class seats, in a 3-3-3 configuration

All seats could have private leisure, plus USB retailers. Sadly the plane gained’t characteristic Wi-Fi, although, no less than initially.

Finally Edelweiss plans to introduce new cabins on its A350s, representing an funding that’s “a three-digit million sum.” Edelweiss is claiming to not be initially reconfiguring these plane “on account of worldwide materials shortages and lowered upkeep & engineering capacities.”

For what it’s price, Edelweiss’ A340-300s at the moment have a staggered configuration in enterprise class, virtually an identical to what you’ll discover on SWISS’ A340-300s. For a leisure airline, it’s additionally noteworthy that Edelweiss doesn’t have a premium financial system cabin. I can’t assist however suppose that this shall be added sooner or later when new interiors are launched.

I’m sort of going to overlook Edelweiss’ very uncommon A340-300 configuration. The airline places enterprise class between further legroom financial system and financial system, which you don’t typically see.

Backside line

Edelweiss Air is refreshing and rising its lengthy haul fleet, because the airline is changing its 5 Airbus A340-300s with six Airbus A350-900s. You’ll be able to count on the plane to hitch Edelweiss’ fleet in 2025 and 2026, and for all A340s to be retired by late 2026. These A350s will initially characteristic former LATAM interiors, and in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later the airline claims to be investing in new cabins.

What do you make of Edelweiss buying Airbus A350s?