Tag: Zurich (Page 2 of 3)

DB and SBB to Increase Rail Service Between Germany and Switzerland

October 26, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Demand for international rail services between Germany and Switzerland has increased rapidly in recent years. At the Basel border crossing alone the number of passengers has increased by over 25 per cent in the past five years. Given the increasing importance of climate protection, the increase in travel by rail, an environmentally friendly mode of transport, is a trend which is expected to continue. Despite the current challenges presented by the COVID-19 crisis, the two rail companies DB and SBB firmly believe there is tremendous growth potential in rail services between Germany and Switzerland over the medium and long term. As a result, DB and SBB are planning a significant increase in services. Both rail companies today signed a memorandum of understanding on the proposals.

The planned increase in services will be made possible thanks to the opening of Stuttgart 21 and the completion of the Karlsruhe–Offenburg and Müllheim–Basel stages of improvements by 2026. The increase in services involves switching operation of all ICE services between Switzerland and Germany to ICE 4s, this being DB’s most modern train, and the use of SBB Giruno compositions in Germany.

The key features of the service increase planned from the 2026 timetable are:

– The number of direct services between Switzerland and Germany will rise from 26 at present to 35 connections a day.

– Two new direct services a day from Hamburg via Basel to Lugano will improve the services on the north-south axis via the Gotthard route. The use of the Giruno on this line means that further direct connections from Germany to Milan could be added in future.

– The new plan also involves running new direct services from Germany via Bern to Valais.

– The deployment of the ICE 4 on the Dortmund–Cologne–Basel line makes it possible to provide new direct services from North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous federal state, to Switzerland.

– The half-hourly frequency in future on the Zurich to Chur route will allow additional direct connections from Germany to Chur to be provided.

– The journey time between Frankfurt and Zurich will be reduced by 20 minutes to 3 hours and 40 minutes.

In conjunction with the joint increase in services, SBB Giruno trains will also now be used on routes between Switzerland and Germany. SBB also plans to procure additional Giruno compositions from manufacturer Stadler Rail using existing options available. Vincent Ducrot, CEO of SBB, believes this increase in services is another major step which underlines SBB’s strong commitment to significantly improving international passenger services: “We want to make rail travel in Europe easier for our customers. Rail offers major advantages in terms of travel time and comfort and has gained further impetus from the climate debate. This is why we are focusing on the further development of international services. It is important to look at sustainable and efficient mobility at European level. Infrastructure projects, such as the Ceneri Base Tunnel and Stuttgart 21, are pioneering in this respect.” Richard Lutz, CEO of Deutsche Bahn, said: “2021 is the European Year of Rail. Projects such as the revival of the Trans Europ Express for cross-border services and the development of our cooperation with SBB demonstrate this. These are wonderful indications that rail travel is growing across the entire continent, and first and foremost, that people and economic activity in Europe are coming closer together.”

Der neue Fernverkehrszug der SBB “FV Dosto”, ein Doppelstockzug, fotografiert wahrend der Typentestfahrt in Interlaken, am Donnerstag, 11. Mai 2017. (KEYSTONE/Anthony Anex)……..

SBB and ÖBB Plan Further Expansion of Night Train Services

September 20, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

SBB and ÖBB are stepping up their long-standing cooperation in international passenger services. The two railway companies are seeking to scale up the existing night train services from six to ten lines. Planning is underway for new night trains from Switzerland to Amsterdam, Rome and Barcelona. Last week, SBB and ÖBB signed a corresponding Letter of Intent. The planned expansion of services can only be guaranteed with financial support from the Swiss climate fund.

Demand for international night train services significantly increased in 2019 and at the start of 2020 until the coronavirus crisis struck. The number of passengers using night train services from Switzerland grew by over 25 per cent with respect to the previous year. The two partner railways consider this a sustainable trend given the significant rise in customer demand for environmentally friendly and resource-efficient travel. There is clear evidence to show that night trains have a positive effect on overall emissions, as they generate modal shift from other modes of transport to rail. ÖBB and SBB share the goal of shifting more travel to rail and thus contributing to a reduction in CO₂ emissions from the travel sector. This commitment reflects the aims of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the political and public will to develop an attractive night train network as an important component of environmentally friendly and sustainable mobility in Europe.

With its 19 Nightjet lines and eight further services provided in cooperation with partner railways, ÖBB already runs Europe’s largest night train network. This includes the network from Switzerland run in cooperation with SBB, comprising six lines and one additional service. SBB and ÖBB want to build on this success and expand night train services in Europe together. Over the last few months, the companies have thoroughly tested and evaluated various options for expanding the service. By cooperating, the railway companies will be able to make use of synergies in production and marketing of the service offer and save on costs. In the Letter of Intent signed last week, the two railway companies presented their strategy for expanding services as outlined in “2024 Nightjet Network for Switzerland”. The plans involve expanding the Nightjet network from Switzerland to incorporate a total of ten lines and 25 destinations.

Cornerstones of the expansion plan:

– From 2022 timetable onwards: new Nightjet connection to Amsterdam.
As a first step in the expansion process, the two railway companies want to launch a new daily Nightjet service running Zurich–Basel–Frankfurt–Cologne–Amsterdam in December 2021. However, the very limited availability of rolling stock suitable for night train services restricts short-term service expansion. SBB therefore intends to lease suitable rolling stock from German leasing company RDC Asset GmbH.

– Increasing capacity on services to Berlin, Hamburg and Prague and new connection to Leipzig and Dresden.
The services currently provided from Zurich via Basel to Berlin and Hamburg are increasingly popular. Capacity on this route will therefore be expanded significantly. SBB and ÖBB wish to serve both destinations with two separate trains covering the whole route, if possible from the 2023 timetable change. This will enable a significant capacity increase. They also plan to run the service to Prague via Germany as a portion of the Berlin Nightjet with sleeping cars and couchettes. The new route would also provide a direct connection to Leipzig and Dresden.

– Plans for new connections to Rome and Barcelona.
There are plans for a new line connecting Zurich via Bern, Brig, Domodossola to Rome. A daily connection from Zurich via Bern, Lausanne, Geneva to Barcelona is also planned. This would also integrate French-speaking Switzerland directly into the night train network. It is not yet clear whether it will be possible to run these two lines, as agreements with other partner railways are yet to be reached.

To ensure that night train services can be expanded in the medium to long term, ÖBB is also investing in new rolling stock. The new night train sets are to come into service gradually over a period of time.

SBB and ÖBB are campaigning for greater political support for night trains.

Alongside the planned service expansion, SBB, ÖBB and other partner railways are campaigning for transport policies which facilitate night train operations in Europe. In Switzerland, the total revision of the CO₂ Act after 2020 is being debated in the autumn session of the Federal Parliament. The Act provides for support for cross-border rail services from the climate fund. Last week, the Swiss Parliament voted in favour of supporting international passenger services, including night trains. While subject to a final vote and a possible referendum, financial support from the climate fund would compensate for the losses SBB would sustain given the high operating costs night train services involve.

ÖBB is the largest provider of night train services in Europe and has contributed significantly to maintaining night trains services from Switzerland in its existing partnership with SBB. Andreas Matthä, ÖBB CEO, said: “We have no doubts about the Nightjet’s success. With SBB as a committed and effective partner, we can continue to expand the Nightjet network even further. We are investing in new trains: 13 latest generation Nightjet sets will be in operation from the end of 2022. With additional services and modern rolling stock, taking the night train will become an even more attractive option.”

SBB CEO Vincent Ducrot has no doubt that demand for fast daytime services and night trains will continue to grow. “This is a sustainable trend and the demand for environmentally friendly and resource-efficient mobility will continue to increase.”

SBB and ÖBB consider night train services as an important element of the overall service offer and see great potential for creating synergies with daytime services. An attractive rail offer helps to achieve the goal of modal shift from short-haul flights to rail.

Swiss Air Lines Cleared For More Types Of Cabin Cargo

August 8, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Swiss International Air Lines is carrying a greater variety of cargo in passenger cabins after four months of only being allowed to use the upper deck for shipments of COVID-19-related medical supplies.

Swiss Air Lines’ cargo division said it recently received approval from the Swiss aviation agency to transport general cargo in the cabin. Swiss flew its first flight a week ago from Dubai International Airport to Zurich with garments and other fashion-related goods in the passenger area.

The Lufthansa Group subsidiary has used widebody aircraft exclusively for cargo purposes since late March, but nontraditional use of cabin space was limited to medical supplies such as face masks and surgical gloves, as well as medicines and related humanitarian goods used to combat the novel coronavirus.

Swiss WorldCargo has the option of putting boxes of personal protective equipment, and now other products, in the seats and overhead bins of many aircraft or on the floor of three Boeing 777-300s that have had their Economy seats removed.

Click the link below for the full story!

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/swiss-air-lines-cleared-more-110000954.html

American Airlines Announces Additional Schedule Changes in Response to COVID-19

March 15, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL) will implement a phased suspension of additional long-haul international flights from the U.S. starting on March 16. This suspension will last through May 6. This change is in response to decreased demand and changes to U.S. government travel restrictions due to coronavirus (COVID-19). The airline will:

Reduce international capacity by 75% year over year — from March 16 to May 6
Continue to operate one flight daily from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to London (LHR), one flight daily from Miami (MIA) to LHR and three flights per week from DFW to Tokyo (NRT)
Continue short-haul international flying, which includes flights to Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America and certain markets in the northern part of South America, as scheduled

In addition to the international changes, the airline anticipates its domestic capacity in April will be reduced by 20% compared to last year and May’s domestic capacity will be reduced by 30% on a year over year basis.

International Route Changes

By region, the new schedule changes include the following:

Asia, effective March 16

American will suspend all remaining flights to Asia, except for three flights per week from DFW to NRT

Australia and New Zealand, effective March 16

Suspending service from Los Angeles (LAX) to Auckland (AKL) effective March 16, which was slated to end seasonal flying on March 28
Suspending service from LAX to Sydney (SYD) effective March 16

Europe, phased suspension

American will continue to operate one flight daily from DFW to LHR and MIA to LHR
Suspending flights from New York (JFK), Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD), and LAX to LHR gradually over the next seven days to reaccommodate passengers and crew
LHR, Dublin (DUB) and Manchester (MAN) flights from Charlotte (CLT), Philadelphia (PHL) and Phoenix (PHX) will be suspended faster, as these airports are not approved gateways by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Final eastbound flights from CLT, PHL and PHX will be on March 15; final westbound flights returning from LHR, DUB and MAN will depart March 16
Continued suspensions in other parts of Europe, as previously announced, including the delayed start of some seasonal routes as well as flights to and from Amsterdam (AMS), Barcelona (BCN), Frankfurt (FRA), Madrid (MAD) and Munich (MUC) Paris (CDG) and Zurich (ZRH) through early May, or later, based on guidance from the U.S. government and customer demand

South America, effective March 16

Suspending service from JFK and MIA to Rio de Janeiro (GIG) and Georgetown, Guyana (GEO)
Suspending service from DFW, JFK and MIA to São Paulo (GRU)
Suspending service from DFW and MIA to:
- Chile: Santiago (SCL)
- Colombia: Bogota (BOG)
- Ecuador: Guayaquil (GYE) and Quito (UIO)
- Peru: Lima (LIM)
Suspending service from MIA to:
- Brazil: Brasilia (BSB) and Manaus (MAO)
- Colombia: Barranquilla (BAQ), Cartagena (CTG), Cali (CLO), Medellin (MDE) and Pereira (PEI)

These capacity reductions assume no slot waivers are in place other than those previously granted. At airports where demand exceeds airfield and/or terminal capacity, access is governed by slots that grant airlines permission to take off and land at specific times. Given the decrease in demand related to COVID-19, American has requested temporary relief from this usage requirement — otherwise known as requesting a slot waiver — to better align capacity with demand without the risk of losing valuable takeoff and landing slots for the future. American will continue to review its network and make adjustments as needed if waivers are granted.

SWISS to Switch Berlin Service to New Brandenburg Airport

March 10, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

SWISS will operate all its Berlin services to and from the city’s new Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) from 8 November 2020. The SWISS reservation system has already been reconfigured.

From 31 October 2020 onwards, flight operations in Berlin will relocate from the present Tegel Airport to the city’s new Brandenburg Airport (BER). The migration should be completed within the following week. Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) will commence its new operations to and from Berlin Brandenburg on 8 November. The first SWISS arrival at the new airport will be flight LX974 at 08:45, and the first SWISS Berlin Brandenburg departure will be flight LX975 to Zurich at 09:30.

The SWISS reservation system has already been reconfigured to reflect the planned move. Customers who book a flight to Berlin for travel on or after 8 November will be shown not Tegel (TXL) as their destination but the new Berlin Brandenburg (BER). Customers who have already booked such flights will be notified and rebooked. According to current plans, the arrival and departure times of the SWISS flights concerned will remain unchanged, as will the number of frequencies on the route.

Access to new lounge for SWISS travellers, too

Business Class travellers on Lufthansa Group airlines, Frequent Travellers, Senators, Star Alliance Gold Status Members and HON Circle Members can look forward to a particular highlight at the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport: the Lufthansa Lounge. The 1,600-square-metre facility, which is located in the Main Pier North of Terminal 1, offers separate senator and business sections in which visitors can relax, freshen up or work in calm surrounds. The new lounge also features a panoramic windowfront giving exclusive views out over the apron area and of the Berlin skyline beyond.

SWISS Welcomes its First Airbus A320neo

February 24, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

SWISS took delivery today of the first of 25 new aircraft of the Airbus A320neo family. The new arrival was formally welcomed to the fleet and named “Engelberg” in a ceremony at Zurich Airport. In acquiring these advanced and efficient short- and medium-haul aircraft, SWISS is further underlining its commitment to resource-friendly aviation. With its innovative engine technologies, the Airbus A320neo consumes some 20 per cent less fuel than comparable aircraft of the older generation. SWISS’s new Airbus A320neo also features a newly developed seat that tangibly enhances its passengers’ travel comfort.

The first Airbus A320neo of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) landed in Zurich at 10:57 today. The aircraft, which bears the registration HB-JDA, arrived directly from Airbus’s Hamburg-Finkenwerder works airport in northern Germany. SWISS will be receiving a total of 25 new aircraft of the Airbus A320neo family (the “neo” stands for “New Engine Option”) between now and the end of 2024: seventeen A320neos and eight of the larger A321neo version. The new twinjets will replace older Airbus A320 family aircraft in the SWISS fleet’s ranks and, with their innovative powerplant technology, will help substantially further enhance SWISS’s environmental efficiency.

After arriving in Zurich, the latest member of the SWISS aircraft fleet was formally welcomed in the hangar area by a delegation of invitees from the political, business and media worlds, and was also named “Engelberg”. The naming was jointly performed by Alex Höchli, the mayor of the Central Swiss mountain resort, and Brother Meinrad Haberl of Engelberg Monastery.

Lower fuel consumption and lower noise emissions

Thanks to the advanced technology of its Pratt & Whitney engines and its aerodynamic “sharklet” wingtip extensions, the Airbus A320neo consumes up to 20 per cent less fuel than comparable aircraft types. The new twinjets are also equipped as standard with noise-reducing vortex generators. As a result, a departing Airbus A320neo has a noise footprint on takeoff which is around half the size of the footprint produced by a comparable aircraft type.

“Our new Airbus A320neo family aircraft will substantially further reduce the average age of the SWISS aircraft fleet,” says SWISS CEO Thomas Klühr. “Once they are all delivered, our aircraft’s average age will be one of the youngest in Europe at around nine years. These billion-franc investments will further enhance our environmental credentials, too,” Klühr continues, “because operating an advanced and fuel-efficient aircraft fleet is one of the most effective means of all of reducing the ecological impact of aviation activities.”

An innovative seat for greater travel comfort

The new SWISS Airbus A320neo also offers substantially more travel comfort to both Business and Economy Class passengers, thanks to its newly-developed seats from Italian manufacturer Geven. With their ergonomic pressure distribution over the backrest and the seat cushion, the new seats deliver a tangibly pleasanter sitting experience. And the innovative horizontal placement of the literature pocket above the seat table also provides more personal space.

It’s not just aloft, either, that passengers will enjoy an even more comfortable flight: the new seats can be reclined to 20 degrees (instead of the previous 12) during the taxi, takeoff and landing phases. And Business Class travellers can even recline their seat to a full 26 degrees during the cruise phase of flight.

SWISS will be deploying its Airbus A320neos on its short- and medium-haul routes of up to 4,200 kilometres within Europe and to and from destinations in North Africa and the Middle East. The Airbus A320neo accommodates 180 passengers in Business and Economy Class.

China’s HNA Steps Up Efforts to Sell Swissport at Big Discount

February 5, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

LONDON/FRANKFURT, Feb 5 (Reuters) – China’s HNA Group is resuming efforts to find a buyer for airport luggage handler Swissport despite facing a loss of several hundred million dollars on its initial $2.8 billion investment, four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The Chinese conglomerate has rekindled talks with several heavyweight investment funds as it needs to raise cash to cut its debts, the sources said.

Rothschild is helping HNA identify prospective bidders, who are hoping to buy the Zurich-based business on the cheap after previous attempts to sell it stalled last year, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the process is not public.

U.S. buyout funds Apollo Global Management Inc and Cerberus as well as Canadian asset manager Brookfield have come forward to revisit a possible acquisition of Swissport, the sources said.

Two other U.S. investors – Bain Capital and Centerbridge Partners – are also looking to take part in a new auction, two of the sources said, adding interest from industry buyers had waned.

HNA is hoping to limit its losses and recoup at least $2.3 billion from the sale, one of the sources said.

But offers are expected to value Swissport at about $2 billion, two of the sources said, with one adding Apollo had previously offered $2.1 billion.

This means HNA may need to swallow a loss of more than $500 million to offload the business, which has annual core earnings of about $270 million, they said.

HNA, Apollo, Cerberus, Brookfield and Bain declined to comment, while Centerbridge was not available.

HNA bought Swissport for 2.7 billion Swiss francs ($2.8 billion) in 2016 in a deal that was meant to complement its sprawling portfolio of investments in aviation, logistics and tourism.

But the Chinese giant had to look into cashing out at the start of 2018 when its liquidity challenges turned it into one of China’s most indebted companies and forced it to quickly sell assets.

The 20-year old company, led by chairman Chen Feng, came under pressure after embarking on an aggressive M&A spree in the United States and Europe with deals worth an overall $50 billion.

It made a push into the travel and tourism industry, buying a 25% stake in Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc in 2016 and then branched out into financial services, becoming the leading investor in Deutsche Bank.

But its M&A binge resulted in cash flow problems, prompting a review of all its business interests overseas.

HNA initially considered a possible listing of Swissport on the Swiss SIX Exchange in 2018, but then opted for an outright sale.

Apollo and Cerberus, which bought Paris-based Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) in 2018, were both initial contenders for Swissport, but negotiations stalled after the Swiss company secured a refinancing package in August.

($1 = 0.9727 Swiss francs)

(Reporting By Pamela Barbaglia and Clara Denina in London and Arno Schuetze in Frankfurt; Editing by Mark Potter)

SWISS Opens New Alpine Lounge at Zurich Airport

November 11, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

SWISS opened a new-style lounge with alpine flair and a modern food and beverage concept in Zurich Airport’s Terminal A today. The new SWISS Alpine Lounge is available to Miles & More Senators and Star Alliance Gold Members, along with Business Class travelers on SWISS and other Lufthansa Group airlines.

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) opened a new lounge at its Zurich hub today that offers its visitors a multi-sensual airport lounge experience. The 500-square-metre SWISS Alpine Lounge occupies the former location of the First Class Lounge in the airport’s Terminal A, and can accommodate up to 100 travelers.

A mountain hut with quality Swiss materials
Zurich’s new SWISS Alpine Lounge blends all the charm of a rustic yet contemporary mountain hut with the comforts and the style features of the familiar SWISS lounges. Of particular note are the light-wood elements and the bespoke furniture, much of it hand-made by Swiss craftsfolk. The quality alpine-style carpets and cushion covers are also hand-crafted and sourced from small Swiss manufacturers. Large communal wooden tables underscore the hut-like ambience, while the high windows offer fabulous views of the apron area and its flight activities.

A modern food and beverage concept around a rustic oven
SWISS has taken a new direction with the lounge’s food concept, too. The centrepiece of the new SWISS Alpine Lounge is a rustic oven in which seasonal dishes are prepared. Guests are additionally offered a range of further ingredients to tailor their food to their particular taste. These individualization options also help to reduce food waste. The beverages on offer include a selection of local Swiss wines and spirits. And the wines are served using a new and more ecofriendly dispensing system that enhances both the quality of the wine and the lounge’s recycling credentials.The new SWISS Alpine Lounge is open Mondays to Fridays from 05:30 to 18:30. The lounge is available to Miles & More Senators, Star Alliance Gold Members and Business Class travellers on SWISS and other Lufthansa Group airlines.

SBB’s New Double-Deck Train is Getting Better and Better

November 10, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Significant increase in reliability and ride comfort

The introduction of the new “FV-Dosto” double-deck long-distance train on the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) route network is making significant and measurable progress. As the manufacturer Bombardier Transportation explained at its Swiss headquarters in Zurich, the reliability of the 25 trains available to the SBB has been increased by a factor of seven, and ride comfort has been substantially improved thanks to newly installed software. This and the train’s highly energy-efficient drive concept, also led to a significant improvement in punctuality on the routes operated with the FV-Dosto. With the help of software developed and adapted by Bombardier, it has been possible to reduce the previously noticeable vibrations, particularly in the upper decks of trains by up to 75 per cent, thereby substantially increasing ride comfort.

As Stéphane Wettstein, the Swiss Managing Director of Bombardier Transportation, explained, the technical reliability of the FV-Dosto trains used, once again significantly increased to 6,914 km of trouble-free operation in October. This corresponds to an improvement by a factor of seven over the last 11 months. Approximately 34 per cent of service disruptions are caused by operational and passenger-triggered incidents and accordingly affect the overall reliability of operations. Wettstein put the increase in the technical reliability of the trains down to the effectiveness of the agreed actions and the increasing mileage of the Dosto fleet, which has now covered a total of around 2.27 million kilometres. He is therefore confident that technical and operational reliability will continue to improve steadily. Since the timetable change in December 2018, around 75 per cent of the technical causes of disruptions have been eliminated.

Reliability and drive concept have a positive effect on punctuality

The greater reliability and increasing trouble-free availability of the trains also have a positive effect on the punctuality of the IR and IC services operated by the FV-Dosto. According to the surveys on the statistics website pünktlichkeit.ch, it is better in eastern Switzerland than in other parts of the country. This is not only due to higher reliability of the FV-Dosto trains, but also to their drive concept: unlike conventional trains, the FV-Dosto is not pulled or pushed by a locomotive, but driven by high energy-efficient and permanent magnet motors on the axles of the individual carriages. This allows long-distance trains to accelerate much faster, which positively contributes to timetable adherence.

Substantial improvement of ride comfort

In recent weeks, great progress has also been made in terms of ride comfort. With the new software installed in September 2019, it has been possible to eliminate the vibrations that used to be felt, mainly in the upper deck, to such an extent that some of them are now lower than in conventional double-deck trains. However, Stéphane Wettstein pointed out that, although Bombardier’s mechatronic bogies had been able to improve ride comfort, railway infrastructure, which also influences passengers’ level of comfort, has not gotten any better.

The technologically complex system for eliminating vibrations is based on stabilizing the carriage body in every driving situation, in such a way that the passenger feels less of the centrifugal forces in curves and changes of direction when passing over points than in conventional double-deck or tilting trains. While the ICN tilting train, which was also built by Bombardier as the consortium leader, tilts inwards in curves up to 7°, the FV-Dosto stays perpendicular to the track level. Together with the drive system and the pressure-tight carriage body, which prevents unpleasant pressure on the ears, especially when travelling through tunnels, this system is one of the major innovations of what is currently the world’s most modern long-distance train.

SBB already has 25 new trains

“The FV-Dosto is technologically a leading product in the industry in terms of its energy efficiency and the wide range of comfort it offers its passengers, even on a global scale – something Switzerland can be proud of, especially since important systems such as the traction or the bogies were developed in Switzerland and are largely manufactured in Switzerland,” says Swiss Managing Director of Bombardier Transportation Stéphane Wettstein.

Bombardier has now delivered a total of 25 of the FV-Dosto trains, which corresponds to SBB’s planning for the timetable change in 2019. By summer 2021, the entire fleet of (62) trains will have been delivered. The great public interest in the FV-Dosto has also prompted Bombardier to intensify communication regarding this high-tech train. The company has launched a website at swissdosto.ch which provides continually updated information on the introduction and operation of the train on the Swiss rail network.

Bombardier creates considerable value in Switzerland

Bombardier Transportation is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of public transport vehicles, mainly rail vehicles. The company is headquartered in Montreal, Canada and employs around 40,000 people around the world. More than 100,000 Bombardier vehicles are in service worldwide, carrying some 500 million passengers every day. In Switzerland, Bombardier’s roots go back some 120 years; many of the famous Swiss railway manufacturers from Secheron and MFO to BBC, ABB and Schindler Waggonbau to SLM have been combined under Bombardier over the decades. Today, around 870 employees work for Bombardier in Switzerland, 340 of them at the headquarters and global development centre in Zurich and 530 at the Villeneuve (VD) plant. Numerous Swiss suppliers are also involved in the development and production of the FV-Dosto, and their order volume accounts for around 50 per cent of the total external investment volume of CHF 600 million for the (62) ordered trains. After all, Bombardier is not only the supplier of FV-Dosto for SBB, but also of locomotives, technical services and the BOMBARDIER FLEXITYtram, which is already being used successfully in Geneva and Basel and the first of which will also be handed over to the Zurich public transport operator VBZ on November 15, 2019.

Helvetic Airways Receives its First Embraer E190-E2 Jet

October 31, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Zurich, Switzerland, October 31st, 2019 – In ceremony held at its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, Helvetic Airways officially received its first E190-E2 jet from Embraer. The airline has a contract for a firm order of 12 jets of this model, and purchase rights for a further 12 E190-E2, with conversion rights to the E195-E2, bringing the total potential order up to 24 E-Jets E2s.

“As the only Swiss airline to operate Embraer aircraft, Helvetic Airways already stands out from the competition,” said Martyn Holmes, Vice President Europe, Russia & Central Asia, Embraer Commercial Aviation. “And, with our state-of-the-art E190-E2, it now has the perfect aircraft, in terms of environmental sustainability and to maximize the profitability of its flight operations.”

Helvetic Airways CEO Tobias Pogorevc is pleased to have achieved this milestone. “After more than eighteen intensive months,” he commented, “it’s a sense of accomplishment that we feel most today. With the E190-E2, Helvetic Airways is entering a truly new era. Our state-of-the-art twinjet will make us one of Embraer’s leading European operators. And it gives us just the modern and environmentally friendly aircraft we need to continue our development.”

This E190-E2 aircraft marks the start of Helvetic’s fleet renewal program. The purchase rights for a further 12 aircraft (E190-E2 or E195-E2) will enable Helvetic Airways to grow according to market opportunities. Helvetic Airways is configuring the E190-E2 in a single class layout with 110 seats and will deploy the aircraft on several domestic and international routes.

The E190-E2 is the first of three new aircraft types that make up the Embraer E2 family of aircraft, developed to succeed the first-generation E-Jets. Compared to the first-generation E190, the E190-E2 burns 17.3% less fuel and nearly 10% less than its direct competitor. This makes it the most efficient single-aisle aircraft on the market. The E190-E2 brings more flexibility with maximum range of up to 3,293 miles (5,300 km), about 621 miles (1,000 km) more than the first-generation E190.

The E190-E2 also generates significant savings for airlines in terms of maintenance costs. It has the longest maintenance intervals with 10,000 flight hours for basic checks and no calendar limit in typical E-Jets utilization. This means an additional 15 days of aircraft utilization over a period of ten years.

Pilots of the first-generation E-Jets require only two-and-a-half days of training without the need for a full flight simulator in order to fly the E2, which decreases the training burden and saves both time and money for the airlines. The E2 cockpit features advanced Honeywell Primus Epic 2 integrated avionics. Combined with the closed-loop fly-by-wire controls, the systems work together to improve aircraft performance, decrease pilot workload and enhance flight safety.

From the passenger’s perspective, the E2 cabin features a comfortable two-by-two layout. The absence of a middle seat enables passengers to have an enjoyable flight experience with more legroom and additional luggage storage space.

Embraer is the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial aircraft up to 150 seats with more than 100 customers across the world. For the E-Jets program alone, Embraer has logged more than 1,800 orders and 1,500 aircraft have been delivered. Today, E-Jets are flying in the fleets of 80 customers in 50 countries. The versatile 70 to 150-seat family is flying with low-cost airlines as well as with regional and mainline network carriers.