SWISS presents the world’s first Bombardier CS100

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) presented its first Bombardier C Series aircraft – a CS100 – at Zurich Airport today. The aircraft also received its new name: Canton of Zurich. The innovative short- and medium-haul twinjet sets new benchmarks in terms of its inflight comfort, its operating economics and its environmental credentials. SWISS will become the world’s first operator of the totally newly-developed Bombardier C Series when its first CS100 enters commercial service on 15 July.

It was about a year ago that a Bombardier C Series aircraft first touched down on Swiss soil. That visitor from the manufacturer featured a non-SWISS cabin interior and only a provisional SWISS livery. Today, the latest arrival in the SWISS aircraft fleet was presented for the first time to local politicians, representatives of the authorities, business partners and media representatives from all over the world.

New name: Canton of Zurich

SWISS has named its first Bombardier C Series aircraft Canton of Zurich – the canton whose residents will benefit most from its “whisperjet” performance. The aircraft was co-named by Canton Zurich Government Councillor Carmen Walker Späh and Swiss rapper BLIGG, who was born and lives in the canton. Following the naming, the invitees were able to experience HB-JBA aloft in a scenic flight around the canton and the Swiss Alps.

“I am hugely proud that we will now be the first operator of the most advanced and innovative aircraft in its class in the world,” says Thomas Klühr, SWISS’s Chief Executive Officer. “Our new Bombardier CS100 is extremely efficient and only half as loud as comparable aircraft types. For our customers it ushers in a new era in inflight comfort. And the fact that our new C Series will also enable us to create some 150 new jobs in our cabin crew corps makes me even prouder still.”

Fred Cromer, Bombardier’s President Commercial Aircraft, had words of particular praise for the good collaboration in the aircraft’s development. “SWISS played a large part in developing this product,” he explained. “And with our specialists we’ve been able to accommodate many of SWISS’s special requests.” Canton Zurich Government Councillor and Head of Economic Affairs Carmen Walker Späh and Stephan Widrig, CEO of Flughafen Zürich AG, both underlined the importance of the investment of billions of Swiss francs in state-of-the-art customer-friendly, low-noise-emission aircraft, both for the airport and its local residents and for Zurich as a whole and its locational appeal.

A technological milestone in energy efficiency terms

SWISS is the launching customer and first operator of Bombardier’s totally newly-developed short- and medium-haul C Series aircraft. The first of its 30 jets on order – which are a combination of CS100s and the larger CS300 – will gradually replace the present SWISS Avro RJ100 fleet between now and mid-2017. Following that, the subsequent C Series deliveries will partly replace other aircraft types and partly permit modest fleet growth.

In SWISS configuration the Bombardier CS100 will seat 125 passengers. With its advanced engine technology, systems and construction materials the new twinjet sets new benchmarks in comfort, economic and ecological terms. It is 10-15 decibels quieter than comparable aircraft types; and both its fuel consumption and its carbon dioxide emissions have been reduced by up to 25%.

The cabin interior features large and closely-spaced windows that let in more daylight and give the cabin a very spacious feel. The innovative seat from manufacturer ZIM boasts a special design that includes a single central table support, providing optimum comfort and more legroom with the same seat pitch. The overhead bins offer ample room for passengers’ carry-on baggage. And the state-of-the-art cockpit and the ergonomically-conceived galley, which were both developed in close collaboration between Bombardier and SWISS, have been specifically designed to meet crew wishes and needs.