Read Your Indulgence

Swiss Flight Takes Off With “San Francisco” Design

June 1, 2010

Swiss International Air Lines is set to commence its new non-stop service between Zurich and San Francisco on June 2. To mark the event, the airline has redesigned the livery of one of its Airbus A340s using a colorful and flowery design together with “San Francisco” lettering as a tribute to the West Coast city’s famed flower power past.

The launch of the new route has been preceded by extensive preparations. At Zurich Airport alone, a team of eight individuals spent three days applying the new color scheme to the 63-meter-long aircraft. The work involved the use of almost 400 square meters of special film. And the “flower power” A340, registration HB-JMJ, is now ready to operate Swiss’s first flight to San Francisco on June 2. The final design was chosen from a selection of three by the readers of the 20 Minuten daily paper. Around 30 000 readers voted, and their choice will remain on the aircraft for more than a year.

Customers aboard the “San Francisco” aircraft can expect a further highlight inside. HB-JMJ is the first of Swiss’s A340s to be equipped with the new Swiss Business cabin, with a unique seating arrangement and seats that feature an innovative air cushion whose firmness can be swiftly and flexibly adjusted to individual wishes. Under current plans, a second A340 should have the new Swiss Business cabin installed by mid-July, enabling the new Business Class product to be offered to travelers on all Zurich-San Francisco flights. For more information, visit www.swiss.com.