Swiss Airlines forced to alter planes - because carrier's first class seats are too HEAVY The new seats - named Swiss Senses - are due to make debut in winter 2025-26 However, 'balancing plates' are to be installed as seats make aircraft nose-heavy READ MORE: American Airlines plane forced to land over passenger outburst By Jowena Riley Published: 11:01, 9 September 2024 | Updated: 11:01, 9 September 2024 e-mail View comments If you thought flying first class was the epitome of luxury, Swiss International Air Lines is about to raise the bar - or maybe weigh it down. The Swiss flag carrier is in the midst of a revamp that promises a sky-high experience, but a significant flaw has emerged in the design of its plush new first-class seats: they're simply too heavy for the plane. Swiss is set to install its deluxe "Swiss Senses" suites in its Airbus A330 fleet, boasting six-foot walls, sliding doors, and a whopping 37 square feet of personal space.
But while first-class passengers may enjoy their extra legroom and cocoon-like enclosure, the aircraft itself is feeling the weight - quite literally. The new seats, meant to debut in the winter of 2025-2026, are so massive that they're making the aircraft nose-heavy. Swiss Airline's new first-class Swiss Senses seats, meant to debut in the winter of 2025-2026, are so massive that they're making the aircraft nose-heavy Swiss engineers are now working to restore balance by installing a hefty "balancing plate" at the rear of the plane, as reported by CNN .
Read More Married BA pilot is suspended 'after drunkenly assaulting three female crew members on stop-over' As airplane designs evolve, the trend of beefing up first and business class for added privacy - while lightening economy seats - has shifted the balance in a number of aircrafts. In a statement, Swiss noted: "These two contrasting trends are changing the center of gravity of the aircraft in which such seats are installed." It also said that aircraft types that have been originally designed to be nose-heavy are particularly affected – this includes the A330.
On the other hand, Swiss' Boeing 777s, which will also get the new suites, won't face the same issue, while the carrier's Airbus A340s will not have the new seats installed. The "Swiss Senses" seats are part of a larger overhaul inspired by customer feedback. Many passengers have called for modernised cabins on long-haul flights, particularly on the Airbus A330-300s, which currently serve destinations in the Middle East, the United States, and Canada.
The number of first-class seats will also be reduced from eight to four to limit added weight. Many passengers have called for modernised cabins on Swiss' long-haul flights, particularly on the Airbus A330-300s While some questioned whether the weight issue was a planning oversight, Swiss denied it was an error. A spokesperson explained that initial weight estimates were 'rough' and have since evolved as manufacturing of the seats progresses.
While the current first class seats on Swiss weigh 205 kilograms or 452 pounds, the final weight of the new suites won't be known until they are fully installed. Meanwhile, a photo of a plus-sized passenger struggling to fit between the armrests on a plane has sparked a fierce debate over whether obese travellers should have to pay for an extra seat. The man was snapped by a fellow traveller as he squeezed into his aisle seat during a flight from Helsinki to Copenhagen last Monday.
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