Tokyo (SCCIJ) – Swiss International Air Lines is expanding its long-haul network with non-stop flights to Osaka from Zurich. The “Airline of Switzerland” will introduce a five-times-weekly non-stop service on 1 March 2020 from Zurich, making it the only airline to operate this route. Besides, Swiss adds Washington D.C. as a destination. The changes to the route network take place after the commissioning of two new large aircrafts during the first quarter of 2020.
Osaka Castle is one of the most famous castles of Japan.
Resumption after 18 years
Osaka joins Tokyo as Swiss’ second Japanese destination. The airline will fly the route Zurich-Osaka for the first time in 18 years since the 2001 summer schedule. “As the ‘Airline of Switzerland,’ we connect our home country with the world’s key economic, societal and tourist destinations,” explained Swiss CEO Thomas Klühr.
The new service will make Zurich the sixth European destination from Kansai, according to Kansai International Airport. Osaka is Japan’s third-biggest city, with over 2.5 million inhabitants. The city is a major business center and has a large commercial port.
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and has a population of 380,000. It is one of the world’s leading financial centers where major banks and financial institutions have their offices. The city is also full of natural scenery such as a beautiful lake and offers a wealth of tourist attractions, including medieval architecture.
Two additional large aircraft
Swiss is to modify and expand its services given the expected delivery of two further Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. For the new non-stop service to Osaka, Swiss will deploy Airbus A330/A340 aircraft which offer 223 seats immediately from March 2020.
For the daily non-stop flights to Tokyo, the airline will switch from the current Airbus A330/A340 to Boeing 777-300ER from February 2020 onwards. This switch is due to the high demand on both the passenger and freight side, Swiss said in a statement; the Boeing 777-300ER is the biggest aircraft in the Swiss fleet.
Attractive air travel network
“With these additions, we are offering both our business and leisure travelers two attractive new long-haul destinations,” said Swiss Chief Commercial Officer Tamur Goudarzi Pour. “This will help further strengthen Switzerland as a place to visit and do business, and will offer our customers an even more attractive air travel network.”
Booking for 2020 already opened
The new flights between Zurich and Osaka are already bookable on swiss.com and through all further booking channels and outlets. Timetable details (all times local):
Winter 2019/2020
Zurich – Osaka LX 162 13:00 – 08:45 (Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat/Sun)
Osaka – Zurich LX 163 11:00 – 16:00 (Mon/Tue/Thu/Sat/Sun)
Summer 2020
Zurich – Osaka LX 162 13:00 – 07:50 (Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat/Sun)
Osaka – Zurich LX 163 10:05 – 15:45 (Mon/Tue/Thu/Sat/Sun)
Text: SCCIJ with material of Swiss and KIX; Photo: © Swiss
