Swiss retires first Airbus A340 for dismantling at Twente Airport

Swiss International Air Lines has begun retiring its Airbus A340-300 fleet, starting with the aircraft registered as HB-JMB. On October 14, the 23-year-old jet completed its final flight, traveling from Zurich to Twente Airport in Enschede, Netherlands.

The aircraft has been sold to Aircraft End-of-Life Solutions (AELS) for dismantling and recycling. Before the full decommissioning process begins, technicians will remove specific components that remain the property of Swiss. HB-JMB has logged over 110,000 flight hours and more than 12,300 flights since its delivery in 2003.

This retirement marks the beginning of a phase-out process as Swiss replaces its four-engine aircraft with Airbus A350-900s. While some aircraft are destined for recycling at Twente Airport, Swiss has donated another A340, HB-JMH, to the Swiss Transport Museum, which is currently seeking funding to facilitate its relocation.