Halifax Stanfield launches new direct flights to Zurich

Edelweiss Airline arrives at Halifax Stanfield International Airport. (Source: Halifax Stanfield)

Halifax Stanfield International Airport welcomed a new airline service on Friday.

The airport is now offering non-stop service to Zurich, Switzerland, through the launch of Edelweiss Air.

This is the first time the airport has offered Zurich as a destination on the airport’s route map.

“We’re thrilled to officially launch Edelweiss’ non-stop service between Halifax and Zurich,” said Joyce Carter, president and CEO of Halifax International Airport Authority (HIAA). “Today is the start of an exciting connection between our regions, providing more travel options for Atlantic Canadians and making it easier than ever for European travellers to experience Nova Scotia. We’re proud to partner with Edelweiss and look forward to the many benefits this connection will bring to our communities and travellers.”

The twice-weekly route will be operated on an Airbus A340-300 aircraft which seats 314 passengers in business, economy max and economy classes. The flight time from Halifax to Zurich is around seven hours.

“This route ideally complements our popular flights to Calgary and Vancouver in western Canada,” explained Patrick Heymann, chief commercial officer of Edelweiss. “With this non-stop flight, we are bringing Switzerland and Europe even closer to Canada’s beautiful and breathtaking nature. At the same time, travellers from Atlantic Canada can now discover Switzerland more easily or take advantage of the excellent hub in Zurich to connect to almost anywhere in Europe and beyond.”

Edelweiss is a Swiss leisure airline and sister company to Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Its namesake comes from the Edlweiss flower of the Swiss Alps.

“Routes like Edelweiss’ new one between Zurich and Halifax are an important way of growing tourism and opening our economy to new markets,” said ministerial assistant John A. MacDonald on behalf of Colton LeBlanc, minister of Growth and Development for the province. “We look forward to welcoming more visitors to our incredible province, building connections between Switzerland and Nova Scotia and creating new opportunities for Nova Scotia businesses.”

Edelweiss flights from Halifax will be operated in cooperation with SWISS and are available for booking through swiss.com, lufthansa.com, or any travel agency. The twice-weekly flights will operate on Thursdays and Sundays.

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