Swiss is expanding its long distance flights again. It had been thought the carrier's network from Zurich would be frozen following the takeover by Lufthansa which offers a comprehensive network from nearby hubs in Munich and Frankfurt.
But Swiss has announced daily flights from Zurich to Delhi from November 25 using an Airbus A330. From March 30 next year it will begin a Zurich to Shanghai service with an Airbus A340.
Flight LX146 will depart Zurich at 1230 to reach Delhi at 0035 the next morning. Return service LX147 will leave Delhi at 0200 and reach Zurich at 0625.
In the case of Shanghai, flight LX188 departs Zurich at 1305 to arrive in China at 0635. It will return as LX189 leaving Shanghai at 0930 and arriving in Zurich at 1540.Good connections are available from Zurich to destinations throughout Europe.
Swiss will also serve Beijing next year but this service will utilise code-share Lufthansa flights via Munich.Currently there are no direct flights with Swiss to mainland China with the exception of Hong Kong. There are also no flights to Delhi following Air Canada's withdrawal of service on May 1 (see Online News, February 21).
In other news, Gulf-based Etihad says it will begin its long-awaited service to Singapore next September. It will be the Abu Dhabi national carrier's fifth destination in the region after Bangkok, Manila, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.
Etihad will operate the route three times a week with a 262-seater Airbus A330 configured for 22 in business and 240 in economy class. Schedules have yet to be finalised with Singapore's civil aviation authority. But they are expected to offer good connections at Abu Dhabi to destinations in Europe.
For more information visit swiss.com, etihadairways.com.
Report by Alex McWhirter
