SWISS International Air Lines Resumes Non-Stop Services between Zurich and Seoul after 26 years

The renowned SWISS International Air Lines recently announced its return to the South Korean capital after a lapse of 26 years. The airline will be launching a thrice-weekly non-stop service from Zurich to Seoul, starting from 7th May 2024. The Airbus A340-300 aircraft will operate these flights. The airline previously provided service on this route via Swissair until 1998, when operations were suspended.

Huge Leap for SWISS: Zurich-Seoul Route Revival

This re-establishment of the Zurich-Seoul route is a significant expansion move by SWISS International Air Lines. Based on the reports from our source, Seoul was identified as the second-largest East Asian market, after Bangkok, for Zurich, based on point-to-point traffic data over the recent year. However, the flight distance will increase by 10-15% due to a route adjustment to bypass Russian airspace.

SWISS vs Korean Air

With the new Zurich-Seoul route, SWISS will be contending directly with Korean Air. Despite the lower fuel efficiency of quadjet services, which often limits their usage, SWISS’s Airbus A340 service on this route stands as an exception owing to its minimal ownership costs.

SWISS’s Asian Network Set to Broaden

According to our source, the inception of the Zurich-Seoul route will significantly bolster SWISS International Air Line’s Asian network, burgeoning to eight daily departures from its Zurich hub during the peak travel period from May to September. SWISS’s other popular routes include destinations such as Bangkok, Delhi, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo. Furthermore, the airline previously served Beijing, Goa, and Maldives and had plans for Osaka, which were interrupted due to the global pandemic.