Swiss International Air Lines modifies aircraft orders

Swiss International Air Lines has announced it is has revised its ongoing fleet renewal programme by reducing its firm orders for EMBRAER 170 and EMBRAER 195 aircraft from 60 to 30, with the first deliveries rescheduled to 2004. The number of options held by the airline on the new types is also being reduced, from 100 to 20 aircraft.

SWISS is also in negotiations with Airbus, with the first seven A340s to be delivered to plan, talks are aimed at rescheduling delivery of the final five A340s.

SWISS says it is responding to the continuing crisis in the air transport industry by modifying its current fleet renewal programme.

SWISS and EMBRAER have agreed to modify the carrier’s order with the manufacturer from 60 to 30 aircraft (15 EMBRAER 170s and 15 EMBRAER 195s), and the number of options is also being reduced, from 100 to 20 aircraft.

Delivery of the first aircraft has also been rescheduled to one year after August 2003, the original handover date. The simulator for the 70-seat  EMBRAER 170 will, however, be installed in Basel this summer according to plan, enabling SWISS Aviation Training to offer corresponding training services to its customers. Delivery of the 108-seat EMBRAER 195 remains unchanged, i.e. from 2006 onwards.

These changes will reduce SWISS’s capital spending by close to CHF 1 billion. They will also lower the company’s expenditure for 2003 by a good CHF 170 million. A large part of the advance payments already effected on the new fleet will be refunded, and the expenditure involved in introducing a  new aircraft type will not be incurred until 2004.