Founded by Nick Grob in October 1995, Edelweiss Air has grown to become a popular Swiss leisure and charter carrier. It is a sister carrier to the flag carrier of the European country, Swiss International Air Lines. Today, the airline has a fleet of 19 aircraft and serves over 65 global destinations.
Photo: Michael Derrer Fuchs | Shutterstock
Operating from Zurich Airport
(ZRH), the airline has a narrow and wide-body fleet that services several short-haul and long-haul destinations. Its fleet consists of Airbus A320
and Airbus A340
aircraft.
A modest fleet
Founded in 1995 in Bassersdorf, Switzerland, Edelweiss Air was named after Switzerland’s unofficial natural flower, the Edelweiss, and now the airline started with just one aircraft in its fleet, the McDonnell Douglas MD-83, see all its aircraft painted with flowers on its aircraft.
Through the years, the airline has expanded and renewed its fleet, with the introduction of the Airbus A320 in 1998. This replaced the airline’s aging MD-83s. Quickly after that, in 2000, the airline welcomed the A330-200, which facilitated the carrier’s long-haul ambitions.
Edelweiss operated two Airbus A330-200
s between 2000 and 2016 and two Airbus A330-300
s between 2011 and 2021. However, following their retirement, the A340 has remained the backbone of the airline’s long-haul strategy, accommodating 314 passengers spread across a three-class configuration (27 business, 76 economy max, and 211 economy class).
The A350-900 is destined for Edelweiss at some stage next year, the first of six destined to replace the aging quad-engine A340. These will be configured for up to 339 passengers, across 30 business, 63 economy max, and 246 economy class. Edelweiss has a fleet of 14 A320-200 for short-haul operations, configured in an all-economy class layout.
Photo: Pavel1964 | Shutterstock
For the airline, its modest fleet network has been made through transfers of aircraft from other Lufthansa Group airlines, with the Airbus A340s received from Swiss International Airlines
, while after the Airbus A330-200s sent to Brussels Airlines and the A330-300s off to Eurowings Discover.
Related
Edelweiss Will Replace Its Airbus A340s With A350-900s
The six new aircraft will begin arriving next year, with the final one coming in 2026.
Edelweiss network of destinations
While Edelweiss follows the peaks and troughs as expected with leisure travel, the airline works hard to provide a unique network of destinations for its market. The airline, which maintains codeshare agreements with Air Canada, Lufthansa, and Swiss, operates to the following destinations:
Africa
|
Year-round |
Amman–Queen Alia (returning March 30, 2025), Aqaba (resumes March 30, 2025), Giza, Hurghada, Marsa Alam, Mauritius |
|---|---|
|
Seasonal |
Agadir, Boa Vista, Cape Town, Djerba, Kilimanjaro, Luxor, Mahé, Marrakesh, Sal, Sharm El Sheikh, Tunis (starting December 19), |
Asia & Middle East
|
Year-round |
Tbilisi (beginning April 12, 2025) |
|---|---|
|
Seasonal |
Antalya, Bodrum, Colombo–Bandaranaike, Dalaman, Malé, Muscat, Phuket, Salalah (beginning February 25, 2025), Zanzibar (from October 28, 2025) |
Photo: Michael Derrer Fuchs | Shutterstock
Europe
Most of its European routes are operated by the airline A320 aircraft, except on high-demand routes where larger aircraft can be deployed.
|
Year-round |
Bergen, Catania, Edinburgh, Fuerteventura, Funchal, Gran Canaria, Kittilä, Lamezia Terme, Lanzarote, Palma de Mallorca, Pristina, Skopje, Split, Tenerife–South |
|---|---|
|
Seasonal |
Akureyri, Bari, Biarritz, Bilbao, Bristol (from June 9, 2025), Cagliari, Calvi (from July 6, July 2025), Chania, Corfu, Cork, Faro, Figari, Harstad/Narvik, Heraklion, Ibiza, Ivalo, Jerez de la Frontera, Kalamata, Kos, Kuusamo, La Palma, Larnaca, Menorca, Mykonos, Newquay, Ohrid, Olbia, Ponta Delgada, Preveza, Pula, Reykjavík–Keflavík, Rhodes, Samos, Santiago de Compostela, Santorini, Seville, Skiathos, Terceira (from June 25, 2025), Tivat, Tromsø, Varna, Zadar (From June 28, 2025), Zakynthos |
|
Seasonal charter |
Longyearbyen, Rovaniemi |
North America
|
Year-round |
Tampa |
|---|---|
|
Seasonal |
Calgary, Denver, Halifax (beginning July 3, 2025), Las Vegas, Seattle (from June 2, 2025), Vancouver |
Related
Edelweiss Will Fly Its New Airbus A350-900s To Las Vegas and Vancouver
The aircraft will eventually replace the carrier’s A340 long-haul fleet.
Cental America
|
Year-round |
Cancún, Punta Cana, San José |
|---|---|
|
Seasonal |
Havana, Liberia, Montego Bay, Puerto Plata, Varadero |
South America
|
Year-round |
– |
|---|---|
|
Seasonal |
Bogotá, Cartagena |
Three classes of travel onboard
Shorthaul offering
The benefits of our short and medium-haul flights that are operated with the airline’s narrowbody fleet include:
Economy
- Ergonomic seats with adjustable headrests
- Snacks and cold or hot menu depending on flight duration
- Nonalcoholic drinks
- Alcoholic drinks at an additional charge
- Free entertainment on your device when connected to the airline’s wireless entertainment system
- Edelweiss E-Reading
Other perks include one free piece of checked baggage, up to 50 pounds, and one carry-on item, no more than 17 pounds. One free sports equipment, up to 50 pounds, is also permitted.
Business class
While there is no business class cabin on short, or medium-haul services, the airline does offer ‘business class,’ which includes:
- Neighbor-free guarantee, due to a free middle seat in the first few rows of the aircraft
- Free food and beverages, including alcohol
- Complementary seat selection
- Free entertainment on your device when connected to the airline’s wireless entertainment system
- Edelweiss E-Reading
- Access to Senator Lounge A at Zurich Airport
- Priority boarding
- Priority baggage
-
Priority Services, which includes
- Extended open hours for business class check-in and expedited airport security (where available)
Baggage entitlements are also increased, with up to two 70-pound checked bags and two 17-pound items in a carry-on. One free piece of sports equipment is also included.
Related
Edelweiss To Add 14th Airbus A320 To Fleet
Edelweiss isn’t just adding a new A320. It’s also improving its in-flight offerings.
Long-haul flights
Are you planning a long-haul trip with Edelweiss, this is what you could be in for:
Economy class
Promising a care-free travel experience, Edelweiss passengers traveling further afield are eligible for adjustable headrests, a curated range of meals and drinks (which vary from season to season), and nine-inch seatback entertainment. Baggage allowances remain the same as short-haul economy, at one piece of 50 pounds (lbs) checked per person and 17 pounds carry-on.
Economy Max
Those splurging on Economy Max will enjoy an additional 10 centimeters in legroom and 5 centimeters in seat recline, and alcoholic beverages are included in their fare.
Business class
With a generously sized seat, passengers in business can sit back and relax as they fly to their long-haul destination. When it’s time to sleep, your seat converts into a 6.5-foot lie-flat bed, which includes an inbuilt massage function.
Chef-inspired meals and free alcoholic beverages are included, and you can enjoy them while you watch your favorite film on the 16″ personal entertainment screen.
Baggage entitlements are also increased, with up to two 70-pound checked bags and two 17-pound items in a carry-on. One free piece of sports equipment is also included.
Related
Edelweiss Adds 2 Brand-New North American Routes On The Airbus A340
Neither of the routes, which took years of planning, have been served before.