After more than 27 years of service with Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), its oldest fleet member – the Airbus A321 HB-IOC – has made its final flight.
Widely known as the ‘Olympic Plane’ in view of its IOC (International Olympic Committee) registration, the aircraft was flown to Castellón in Spain where it was subsequently dismantled.
As part of this phase-out process, SWISS has been trialling a pilot project to see how various parts and components can be re-used and recycled more sustainably in ecological and economic terms.
During its lifetime, the twinjet carried over seven million passengers, performed some 47,000 take-offs and landings, and spent over 73,000 hours in revenue-earning service.
Many of HB-IOC’s components will be used as spares for the remaining active members of the SWISS Airbus A320 family fleet. Parts of the cabin interior will also have a further lease of life elsewhere in the Lufthansa Group – to upgrade its cabin simulators, for instance.
Furthermore, as part of SWISS’s integrated lifecycle management, specialists from the company will be recycling other items that cannot be re-used to recover various materials, with a particular focus on aluminium and other high-value alloys.
Aviation fans and design enthusiasts can also look forward to designer furniture items and other accessories from this autumn onwards, all made from parts of the ‘legendary’ HB-IOC.