A new cabin for “Bellinzona”: visiting the A330 retrofit in Hong Kong

An almost completely empty aircraft, components from around the world, and a dedicated warehouse near the airport: In Hong Kong, HB-JHC “Bellinzona” is currently being fitted with the new SWISS Senses cabin, making it the first Airbus A330 to undergo the retrofit. A visit to our partner HAECO reveals just how much work goes into a project like this and why the retrofit involves far more than simply installing new seats.

Where seats, galleys, and cabin panels would normally define the interior, cables, wiring, and the aircraft structure are now exposed. Our HB-JHC “Bellinzona” is almost unrecognizable. To install the new SWISS Senses cabin, the existing interior has been almost completely removed.

The retrofit is being carried out by HAECO in Hong Kong, a renowned and experienced partner for aircraft maintenance and cabin modifications. The scale of the operation is impressive: With around 75,000 square meters of hangar space, up to 22 aircraft can be serviced at the same time. Our “Bellinzona” is currently among them.

A technician works with utmost precision on the wiring of our “Bellinzona.”
Precision work on the wiring of our “Bellinzona” © Yordanos Pandiani
Technicians at work inside the “Bellinzona.”
“At peak times, up to 50 people work on the aircraft at the same time,” says Gunnar Ciernioch, Project Manager TechOps. © Yordanos Pandiani
The empty interior of the A330 cabin.
A rare sight: The new SWISS Senses cabin will soon be installed here. © HAECO
Sneak peek: The first rows are in.
Sneak peek: The first rows are in. © HAECO
Sneak peek: The first rows are in.
Sneak peek: The first rows are in. © HAECO

Retrofit vs. linefit: Conversion under different conditions
Installing a new cabin in an existing aircraft is fundamentally different from equipping a new aircraft during production. With a so-called “linefit,” the cabin and aircraft are designed and integrated together from the outset. A retrofit, on the other hand, requires the existing aircraft to first be stripped back and then adapted to accommodate the new cabin. This makes a retrofit significantly more complex than a linefit.

“A retrofit is significantly more complex than a linefit. We’re working with an existing aircraft and have to integrate the new cabin into the existing structures and systems.”

Mark Bitterli, Head of Future Intercont Experience at SWISS

HB-JHC comes with an additional challenge: It is the first A330-300 to undergo the a retrofit of this kind. Many processes and work steps are being implemented under real-world conditions for the first time. The insights gained from this initial retrofit will therefore feed directly into the conversion of the remaining 13 aircraft.

When cabin retrofit, maintenance, and logistics come together
The complexity of a retrofit becomes particularly evident when the various workstreams come together. While preparations for the new cabin are underway, HB-JHC is also undergoing a C-check. This may result in additional work, for example if damage is discovered on the exposed aircraft structure. Such “findings” can only be anticipated to a limited extent and have to be incorporated into an already tightly scheduled process.

At the same time, the right materials need to be available at exactly the right moment. Seats, cabin elements, and technical components come from different manufacturers and are shipped to Hong Kong from various parts of the world. A single missing component can affect the sequence of subsequent work.

1,500 square meters of warehouse space
To manage these logistics as reliably as possible, SWISS has set up a dedicated warehouse of around 1,500 square meters directly in Hong Kong. The components needed for the retrofit are collected there and prepared for installation. This means the materials do not have to be continually transported over long distances to the hangar. Having them stored close to the aircraft simplifies logistics while helping reduce additional transportation and the risk of damage in transit.

For the duration of the retrofit, SWISS rents around 1,500 square meters of warehouse space near HKG Airport.
For the duration of the retrofit, SWISS rents around 1,500 square meters of warehouse space near HKG Airport. © Yordanos Pandiani
The new SWISS Economy Class seats are waiting for their turn.
Waiting for their turn: The new SWISS Economy Class seats. © Yordanos Pandiani
The new SWISS Economy Class seats are waiting for their turn.
Waiting for their turn: The new SWISS Economy Class seats. © Yordanos Pandiani

One cabin goes, another takes shape
As new seats and cabin elements arrive on one side, the existing interior has to make way on the other. Despite efforts to find new owners for the seats removed from HB-JHC, no suitable recipients could be found. They will therefore be professionally dismantled on site, with the materials disposed of or recycled as appropriate.

A behind-the-scenes look in Hong Kong makes one thing clear: Creating a new cabin involves much more than installing new seats. It requires global supply chains, engineering, maintenance, and the collaboration of numerous specialists from SWISS, HAECO, and the manufacturers and suppliers involved.

For HB-JHC, there is an additional challenge: Much of this is happening for the first time. The experience gained with “Bellinzona” is therefore also laying the groundwork for the next A330 that will follow on the journey toward the new SWISS Senses cabin.

When HB-JHC leaves Hong Kong again, very little will remain of the cabin it arrived with. Instead, a new chapter will begin for “Bellinzona” as the first retrofitted A330-300 featuring the new SWISS Senses cabin.

“At peak times, up to 50 people work on the aircraft at the same time.”

Gunnar Ciernioch, Project Manager TechOps.

On site for SWISS: the ground time managers
Throughout the retrofit, SWISS Ground Time Managers are on site in Hong Kong to oversee the work. They serve as the central interface between SWISS, HAECO, and the partners involved, coordinating the various work packages and monitoring progress on the aircraft. This allows open questions and unexpected challenges to be addressed directly on site.