SWISS announced on August 17, 2026, that it is upgauging capacity at its Geneva-Cointrin (GVA) base by replacing two Airbus A220-300 aircraft with an equal number of larger A320s.
The change, which will be effective from the summer season of 2027, will add 35 seats per aircraft. The larger A320 features 180 seats, compared to the 145 offered by the A220-300.
The main driver behind this move, as explained by the Swiss airline, is the strong demand on the route to London-Heathrow (LHR), which is one of the busiest from Geneva.
Besides the purely operational aspect of the move, the decision shows SWISS’s intention to re-build capacity at Geneva airport.
While Geneva was historically one of Switzerland’s two air hubs, several rounds of downsizing (which began in the late 1990s by SWISS’ predecessor airline, Swissair), have led SWISS to concentrate the bulk of its operations in Zürich, and keep a significantly diminished presence in Geneva.
This has been compounded by the grounding of a portion of SWISS’ A220 fleet, which operated most of the airline’s flights out of Geneva, due to global issues with Pratt & Whitney engines. Early in 2026 the Swiss carrier announced it was dropping five nonstop routes out of Geneva: Berlin (BER), Copenhagen (CPH), Hamburg (HAM), Oslo (OSL), and Munich (MUC).
“This sends a strong signal for our Geneva base,” said SWISS CEO Jens Fehlinger in a press release announcing the decision. “We want to secure our position in Geneva for the long term and continue to strengthen it with targeted measures. An attractive, demand-oriented and profitable route network plays a decisive role in this.”