Media Release

Zurich Airport, 1st December 2016

It all starts with “Melchsee-Frutt“

The fleet of Switzerland’s leading leisure travel airline just keeps on growing. Its newest member was named “Melchsee-Frutt” in a festive ceremony held on Thursday, 1st December. “Melchsee-Frutt” is the first Airbus A340 to join the Edelweiss fleet and is specially equipped for flights to the airline’s new dream destinations. The interior of the new aircraft has countless other new features to offer.

The naming ceremony of the “Melchsee-Frutt“ took place at Zurich Airport. The festivities included cowbells and alphorn players. It is the fourth Edelweiss aircraft to be named after a Swiss holiday region where the Edelweiss flower grows, and the first A340 to join the Edelweiss fleet.

“In terms of range and capacity, the A340 is the ideal aircraft for Edelweiss,“ says CEO Bernd Bauer with satisfaction. “Our new flagship enables us to reach new holiday destinations that were unreachable with our other long-haul aircraft.”

The “Melchsee-Frutt“ will take off for Cape Town on 1st December on its maiden flight and will also be used for flights to Phuket this winter. A second A340 will join the Edelweiss fleet in spring 2017. This addition will allow Edelweiss to expand its long-haul route network – as besides Costa Rica and Cancún, San Diego will also be among Edelweiss’s new dream destinations in 2017. Two more A340 aircraft will follow in 2018.

A fresh interior design and state-of-the-art seats

The interior of the new Airbus A340 has been fully converted and equipped with the latest generation of comfortable seats that make travel a truly relaxing experience. The new Edelweiss interior design exudes warmth and comfort, thus offering a great holiday send-off. Be it the curtains, the pillows, the blankets or the carpets: the fabrics used are of high quality and each item made with utmost care and attention to detail. Natural looking textiles and traditional patterns emanate a touch of Swissness and accentuate the bond Edelweiss shares with its home country. What is more, a new lighting concept makes sure the new design and Edelweiss passengers glow in the best possible light. Cutting-edge LED technology was installed for this purpose and can be programmed for every colour and light temperature. Indeed, that sunrise before breakfast on board has never looked better!

Swiss quality and hospitality

As of today, the new A340 will carry the Melchsee-Frutt holiday region (in Central Switzerland) into the world. In the words of CEO Bernd Bauer on the occasion of the naming ceremony: ”We are proud to have a region in Central Switzerland represented by this Edelweiss aircraft. The location fits well with Edelweiss, because both Edelweiss and Melchsee-Frutt stand for Swiss quality and hospitality.“ And Erich Ettlin, Council of States member from the canton of Obwalden, got to the heart of the matter: “Edelweiss and Melchsee-Ftutt share something in common: anyone who has visited us once will make a point of coming back.”

In addition to introducing the airline’s newest fleet member, Edelweiss also presented the new flight attendant and pilot uniforms. This is the first time in twenty years that the Edelweiss attire has undergone a complete redesign. Furthermore, in step with the growing route network and expanding fleet, Edelweiss is also planning to increase its flight staff who carry the airline’s Swiss hospitality into the Big Wide World.

Facts about the A340

Further information:

Andreas Meier
Head of Corporate Communications
Edelweiss Air AG
media@flyedelweiss.com