Tampa Airport to Celebrate Edelweiss Air’s Inaugural Flight

TAMPA – Sandy toes and sunscreen meet alpine skiing and yodeling at Tampa International Airport on Friday, May 25 at 5 p.m. to celebrate the much anticipated launch of Edelweiss Air’s first nonstop flight between Tampa and Zurich, Switzerland. 

The airport will host two parties for one huge celebration during which the main terminal will be transformed into a sandy beach and Airside F will become a Swiss wonderland. 

At the welcome beach party, guests will enjoy live tropical music, flamingo and crab hats, and snacks. Shoes are optional for this sandy, fun-filled event featuring steel drums and beach themed giveaways. The event will be held in the main terminal between the shuttle entrances to Airsides A and C. 

At the farewell gate party, guests are invited to sample a variety of Swiss cheeses and enjoy the live music from Alpine Echo. Refreshments, cake, and Swiss themed giveaways will also be available. The event will be held at Airside F, Gate 88.

The flight is scheduled to arrive in Tampa at 5:15 p.m. and depart for Zurich at 7:05 p.m. The aircraft will be both welcomed and sent off with a fond farewell “shower of affection” water arch.

Edelweiss will fly between Tampa and Zurich on Tuesdays and Fridays during the peak summer months and continue with once-weekly flights in the winter. 

Increasing international flights is a top priority for the airport administration. The airport has already seen notable success with international traffic increasing 19.8 percent in the first six months of fiscal year 2012 compared to the same period in 2011. 

The Edelweiss flights are expected to have an economic impact of $32 million for the Tampa Bay region and create more than 250 new jobs. 

Edelweiss Air will use an Airbus A330 with 332 seats onboard. It is configured with 36 business class seats and 296 economy seats.