Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) announced the adoption of an innovative Airspace cabin concept for its Airbus A320neo fleet to provide passengers with a substantially enhanced air travel experience on its short- and medium-haul routes.
According to SWISS CCO Tamur Goudarzi Pour: “As a premium air carrier, we continue to strive to offer our customers the highest possible quality standards, even in the present crisis times. And Airbus’s advanced and innovative new Airspace cabin concept for our short-haul travelers is making a key contribution to all these endeavors. We are pleased to be able to offer our customers even greater inflight comfort, in the form of more space for their carry-on baggage and a new lighting concept specifically tailored to their biorhythm needs.”
The new Airspace cabin features larger overhead bins offering almost 40% more volume than the conventional ones. The new overhead bins can accommodate oversized baggage items (up to 61 x 40 x 25 centimeters) and hold up to four such carry-ons (instead of the present three) by enabling vertical stowage.
The new Airspace cabin further boasts a Human Centric Lighting system more in tune with travelers’ biorhythms: the system will bathe the cabin in varying types of light from warm reds through intermediate tones all the way to cooler blue hues, depending on the time.
Seating comfort has also been enhanced, with slimmer cabin sidewalls offering more space, especially at shoulder height. Washrooms have also been re-designed: they are easier to use for travelers with disabilities and are equipped with antimicrobial surfaces to provide even better hygiene.
The first SWISS Airbus A320neo equipped with the new Airspace cabin was delivered in January. The aircraft was named Elm after the Swiss alpine village, home to the SWISS Altitude 1150 mineral water served on board. Another Airbus A320neo equipped with the advanced new Airspace cabin delivered a few days later bears the name Mürren.
The aircraft will be deployed throughout the airline’s European route network. The first commercial flight with the new Airspace cabin is scheduled for later this month. Five new Airbus A320neo and two new Airbus A321neo aircraft have already been delivered. The remaining 18 Airbus A32Xneos on order – 12 A320neos and six A321neos – will join the fleet by 2025. The -neo aircraft (which stands for New Engine Option) are replacing older SWISS aircraft of the Airbus A320 family, allowing the carrier to substantially enhance its environmental credentials with innovative and more fuel-efficient engines.
