The head that wears the crown is heavy, but the aircraft that has business class seating is even heavier. Swiss International Air Lines (Swiss)’s new first-class seats have put on literal weight, causing an imbalance in their fleet, especially the Airbus A330 aircrafts. These first-class seats, located at the front of the aircraft, are making the aircraft nose-heavy due to their larger private chambers filled with every luxury. To maintain balance in the planes featuring the Swiss Senses suites, the airline plans to install lead plates to correct the center of gravity, starting in winter 2025.
Despite the increased weight of these seats, Swiss is not willing to compromise on comfort, cabin size, or amenities. They will rely on the lead plates to maintain balance, even as economy class seats get lighter. In addition to the added weight, flying business class also increases the carbon footprint.
Passengers flying business or first class are responsible for 2.6 to 4.3 times more emissions than those flying in coach, according to Dan Rutherford, director of aviation at the International Council on Clean Transportation. The addition of lead plates increases weight, which in turn raises fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
A Swiss spokesperson explained, “Customer wishes, economic efficiency, and environmental compatibility must be coordinated, per Tagesanzeiger. Spokesperson Fuhlrott stated, “We are operating in this area of tension. Swiss is committed to achieving its CO2 target of net-zero emissions by 2050 by implementing a variety of innovative measures.”
