SWISS lines up air show and further public attractions for the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships 2017

As the event’s official airline, SWISS has a host of public attractions lined up for the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships 2017, which will be held in St. Moritz from 6 to 19 February. The off-piste highlight will be the air shows on the middle race weekend, which will feature one of the airline’s advanced new Bombardier C Series twinjets accompanied by the Patrouille Suisse. SWISS will also be offering fans a sightseeing flight over the race venue.

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is Official Airline of the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships 2017, which will be staged in St. Moritz, Switzerland from 6 to 19 February. As such, the airline is running contests for fans with prizes of tickets for the event and SWISS flight vouchers. SWISS’s charming crews will also be on hand, to accompany the victory ceremonies in the finish area and look after all the competitors in the special SWISS Athletes Lounge.

An air show with the world-first Bombardier C Series

The off-piste highlight during the Championships is sure to be the air shows jointly conducted by SWISS and the Patrouille Suisse, the Swiss Air Force’s air display team. Every day from Thursday 9 to Sunday 12 February, just before the blue-riband downhill events, SWISS and the Patrouille Suisse will thrill the crowds with a spectacular air show. The displays, in the breathtaking setting of the Engadine, will feature SWISS’s new Bombardier C Series, the most advanced and innovative short- and medium-haul aircraft in the world. And on Sunday 12 February the SWISS cockpit crew performing the display will also appear on stage at the Medal Plaza together with their pilot colleagues from the Patrouille Suisse.

“As The Airline of Switzerland we are delighted to be part of our home country’s biggest winter sports event,” says Markus Binkert, SWISS’s Chief Commercial Officer. “Our heart beats for winter sports, and we are really looking forward to offering our many and varied off-piste attractions to the competitors and to ski fans young and old.”

“SWISS is a local company with a global appeal,” adds Hugo Wetzel, President of the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships St. Moritz 2017. “We are hugely proud to have them on board as a further trusted partner for our world championship event; and our fansand our athletes can all look forward to some truly unforgettable moments, on theground and in the air.”

SWISS will even be hitting some musical notes, too. The SWISS Pilot Combo,which consists of twelve current SWISS pilots, will be playing in Kulm Park, the heart of the event, on Saturday 11 February.

Younger guests, too, will be well catered for. They’ll find a host of fun things to see and do in the SWISS Kids Igloo in Salastrains: encounters with SWISS mascots Bernie and Lexi, “meet & greets” with the stars of Swiss skiing, the chance to win a place on an official Swiss Ski Day with the country’s finest skiers and more.

A sightseeing flight over the venue

For some of those who won’t be able to make it to St. Moritz to view the proceedings themselves, SWISS will also be offering a bird’s eye view of the event. On Saturday 18 February the airline will take 150 lucky guests on a spectacular sightseeing flight over the Engadine aboard its Airbus A321 HB-IOC, which is named “St. Moritz”. The flight will be accompanied by Ochsner Sport athlete Niels Hintermann, the Swiss skier who triumphed in the Men’s Alpine Combined event at last month’s International Lauberhorn Ski Races. He will also be commentating exclusively on the second slalom run for all guests in the public viewing area at Zurich Airport prior to the flight’s departure; and, weather permitting, he will be offering some interesting insights aloft about the St. Moritz venue and the competition courses.

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is Switzerland’s national airline, serving over 100 destinations in 43 countries from Zurich and Geneva and carrying some 16.5 million passengers a year with its 91-aircraft fleet. The company’s Swiss WorldCargo division provides a comprehensive range of airport-to-airport airfreight services for high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 80 countries. As “The Airline of Switzerland”, SWISS embodies the country’s traditional values, and is committed to delivering the highest product and service quality. With its workforce of over 9,000 personnel, SWISS generated total operating income of some CHF 5 billion in 2016. SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group, and is also a member of Star Alliance, the world’s biggest airline grouping.