SWISS will change the composition of its Geneva fleet next summer, replacing two Airbus A220-300s with larger A320neos to increase capacity between the Swiss city and London Heathrow.
The change will take effect with the summer 2027 schedule, which runs from March 28 through October 30. The two A320neos will be assigned to Geneva-Heathrow, a route SWISS describes as one of its highest-demand markets from Geneva.
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The capacity difference is substantial. SWISS configures its A220-300s with 145 seats, compared with 180 on the A320neo. Each flight operated by the larger Airbus will therefore offer 35 additional seats, an increase of about 24%.
SWISS has not yet provided detailed schedules for the operation or said whether frequencies between Geneva and Heathrow will change. The airline said operational details for its summer 2027 network are still being finalized.
The decision is notable because the A220 has a much larger presence in the SWISS fleet than the A320neo. The carrier currently operates 21 A220-300s, compared with 12 A320neos. The latter belongs to the larger A320 family and offers additional capacity on routes where the smaller jet is no longer sufficient.
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Both types use Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engines, although from different versions of the family. The A220-300 is powered by the PW1500G, while the A320neo uses the larger PW1100G.
The Geneva change comes as SWISS also prepares to retire the smallest version of the A220. The airline recently confirmed plans to end operations with its A220-100 fleet, leaving the larger A220-300 as its only version of the former Bombardier CSeries.
SWISS was the launch operator of the A220 family when it introduced the CS100, subsequently renamed A220-100, in July 2016. The larger CS300 followed in 2017, before Airbus acquired control of the program and renamed the two models.
