In 2025, Lufthansa Group carrier SWISS is expected to introduce a new passenger experience, known as SWISS Senses. This includes a new first and business class, and the plan is to install this on newly delivered Airbus A350s, and also to retrofit this on existing Airbus A330s and Boeing 777s.
This is virtually identical to the infamous Lufthansa Allegris concept, as I’ve already reviewed the new Allegris business class. Well, as SWISS prepares to retrofit its existing planes with the new SWISS Senses cabins, the airline is running into a pretty significant issue.
SWISS Senses first class too heavy for Airbus A330
SWISS has a fleet of 14 Airbus A330-300s, which are an average of around 14 years old. These jets are most in need of a refresh, as the cabins on them are quite outdated. As part of the plan to reconfigure these jets, SWISS intends to introduce a single row of first class, featuring three(ish) seats — this includes two single seats at the windows, plus a double suite in the center.
However, SWISS is realizing this won’t be so straightforward, as reported by Aargauer Zeitung. While economy cabins keep getting lighter, first class cabins keep getting heavier. As a SWISS spokesperson explains, “this different weight development is leading to a shift in the center of gravity in aircraft,” and making the plane nose heavy.
As a result, SWISS will need to install a roughly 1.5 ton weight near the back of the aircraft, to balance the heavy first class seats. Yes, that’s right, the airline plans to install a 3,000 pound (1,361 kilogram) weight, just to balance out those first class seats.
Of course airlines are always trying to reduce emissions (both for obvious financial reasons, and to meet their climate targets), and installing such a heavy weight will increase fuel burn, decrease range, and could potentially come at the opportunity cost of some cargo.
As a SWISS spokesperson describes this, “a fixed installation for weight regulation is unavoidable in this case,” and “customer wishes, economic efficiency and environmental compatibility must be coordinated,” and “we are operating in this area of tension,”
For context, the Airbus A330-300 has a maximum takeoff weight of around 533,000 pounds, an empty weight of around 266,000 pounds, and a maximum payload of around 109,000 pounds.
The A330 is the only aircraft impacted by this
This center of gravity issue is exclusive to the Airbus A330-300, as the larger Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 777-300ER aren’t impacted in the same way. For what it’s worth, Lufthansa doesn’t have plans to introduce its new Allegris cabins on any A330s, so SWISS is the only Lufthansa Group airline impacted by this.
So, how could a mistake like this be made? According to a SWISS employee who is anonymously quoted, this calculation error is due to the complexity of internal processes, and a lack of communication within the Lufthansa Group when planning new cabins.
Honestly, I’d say that sentence just about sums up the Lufthansa Allegris and SWISS Senses concept, in a nutshell. It’s so overly engineered and unnecessarily complex, and it also explains why there are so many types of business class seats.
Bottom line
Within the next year or so, SWISS should introduce its new long haul passenger experience, known as SWISS Senses. Unfortunately this is proving really complex for the A330, where the heavy weight of the first class cabin plus the lighter weight of the economy cabin is causing the center of gravity to shift.
As a result, SWISS will have to install a roughly 1.5 ton weight near the back of the aircraft, to avoid the jet being too nose heavy.
What do you make of SWISS’ Airbus A330 weight issue?
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