2012-11-23 — /travelprnews.com/ — SWISS has named a further member of its aircraft fleet after a Swiss municipality. Airbus A320 HB-IJX now bears the name “Bulle”, in honour of the town in Canton Fribourg. The naming, which was performed in a formal ceremony in Bulle today Thursday November 22, is part of SWISS’s broader endeavours to raise its presence and profile in Western Switzerland.
The naming of the aircraft was jointly performed by SWISS Chief Cargo Officer Oliver Evans and Yves Menoud, the present mayor of Bulle, in a ceremony which was attended by several other guests from the region along with media representatives. A further local VIP invitee was Jean-Marc Berset, the triple world handbiking champion and a five-time medallist at the Paralympic Games.
“We are the airline of Switzerland, a country with multiple cultures and languages,” said SWISS’s Oliver Evans at the naming event. “And we are immensely proud that we mirror this diversity in the names that are carried by our aircraft fleet. Western Switzerland is a vital market for SWISS, not only in passenger terms but in the cargo sector, too: many international companies, from family concerns to leading global corporations, have located their businesses here.”
Bulle mayor Yves Menoud was equally delighted. “We feel very proud that a SWISS aircraft will now serve as a flying ambassador for our town, carrying its name all over Europe,” he declared. HB-IJX is one of 23 Airbus A320s operated by SWISS, which are all named after Swiss cities and towns.
The Airbus A320 is 37.6 metres long and 11.6 metres high, has a wingspan of 34.1 metres and seats 168 passengers in its SWISS cabin configuration. With its range of 3,650 kilometres, “Bulle” will be deployed on SWISS’s medium-haul routes in Europe, and on services to Africa and the Middle East.
From left to right: Bulle mayor Yves Menoud; Jean-Marc Berset, handbiking world champion and Paralympics medallist; Frederic Delalay, SWISS Flight Attendant
From left to right: Jean-Marc Berset, handbiking world champion and Paralympics medallist; Frederic Delalay, SWISS Flight Attendant, Oliver Evans, SWISS Chief Cargo Officer; Gabriel Rossier, SWISS Commander; Bulle mayor Yves Menoud; Markus Schmid, SWISS Head of Western Switzerland
Jean-Marc Berset, handbiking world champion and Paralympics medallist
Swiss International Air Lines Ltd.
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