The Italian Aerospace Information Web
by Aeromedia - corso Giambone 46/18 - 10135 Torino (Italy)
Swiss World Airways Starts Geneva-New York Flight
On September 10th 1998, the new Swiss airline Swiss World Airways began its operational activity with a first scheduled long-range passenger service connecting Geneva and New York.
The new service is operated by Boeing B.767-219ER on a daily basis, Wednesday excluded: flight SO 001 Geneva-New York/Newark has departure time at 09.25 AM LT; the return flight SO 002 take off from Newark at 05.25 PM LT.
SWA strongly appears to be a neat reaction of the Geneva area to the recent decision of Swissair to concentrate its intercontinental traffic on the Zurich/Kloten airport. Following this dramatic move, the Geneva/Cointrin airport partially lost its traditional appeal as a long-range hub for the western part of Switzerland and the neighbouring provinces of France and Italy.
Swiss World Airways was formed at the end of 1996 with private and public financial backing and it aims to establish itself as the local intercontinental airline. Today the airline has 70 employees but, as soon as a second aircraft will be put in service, this number is destined to double.
In the picture: Boeing B.767-219ER HB-IIX of Swiss World Airways.
(Aeromedia, September 1998)