Travellers from Atlantic Canada will soon be able to fly non-stop to Switzerland and easily connect to almost all of Europe, as Edelweiss Air has announced a new route between Halifax (YHZ) and Zurich (ZRH).
Beginning July 3, 2025, Edelweiss Air will begin the twice-weekly service, creating the first non-stop link between the two cities. It’s no doubt welcome news to Atlantic Canadians who usually have to double back to a primary hub to get to Switzerland and beyond.
Edelweiss Air Launches New Zurich–Halifax Route
Swiss airline Edelweiss Air has announced a new seasonal route between Halifax (YHZ) and Zurich (ZRH) starting July 3, 2025. The airline is offering two non-stop flights per week, creating the first non-stop link between these two cities.
The airline will fly the new route on Thursdays and Sundays from July to the beginning of October 2025, with the following flight times:
- LX8018 Zurich (ZRH) to Halifax (YHZ), departing 1:50pm and arriving 4:20pm
- LX8019 Halifax (YHZ) to Zurich (ZRH) departing 7pm and arriving 6:25am the following day
The new non-stop route will be serviced by the airline’s Airbus A340-300 aircraft, which seats 314 passengers in economy and business class. The business class cabin has an alternating 1-2-1, 2-2-1 configuration, complete with lie-flat seats.
It’s interesting to note that business class cabin on the Edelweiss Airbus A340-300 is located in the middle of the plane between two economy cabins, rather than at the front
Nova Scotia’s Minister of Community, Culture, Tourism and Heritage, Allan MacMaster, is thrilled with the news, saying “Europe is an important market for our province and this new route will support business connections and help attract more visitors to Nova Scotia.”
It’s anticipated the new Zurich–Halifax route will bring over 4,000 visitors to Halifax each summer, generating an economic impact of more than $20 million (CAD).
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.
The other current non-stop options to get across the Atlantic from Halifax are by flying Condor and Eurowings to Frankfurt, both of which can be booked using points. WestJet and Air Canada offer flights to the UK, too; however, you won’t have a lie-flat seat in business class on these routes.
In announcing the Zurich to Halifax route, Edelweiss Air also announced a new twice-weekly flight between Zurich (ZRH) and Seattle (SEA) which will operate seasonally beginning June 2, 2025 through to late October 2025.
Edelweiss Air also offers flights to Vancouver, Calgary, Denver, Las Vegas, and Tampa.
How to Redeem Points for Edelweiss Air
Edelweiss Air is a non-alliance Aeroplan partner, along with other carriers including Eurowings Discover and SunExpress, amongst others. This means you can redeem Aeroplan points for Edelweiss Air flights.
Flights between Halifax and Zurich are subject to the “Between North America and Atlantic zones” chart. The Great Circle Mapper distance of the non-stop Edelweiss Air flight measures 3,335 miles, which places it under the first distance band.
As a partner airline, this means you’ll pay a fixed amount of 35,000 Aeroplan points one-way in economy or 60,000 Aeroplan points one-way in business class.
The flight leaves you nearly 700 miles from the upper limit of the distance chart that you can use to get to other places in Europe such as Vienna, Brussels, Zagreb, and Prague. You can connect on flights operated by either Swiss, Edelweiss Air, or other partner carriers.
As for the Seattle (SEA)–Zurich (ZRH) route, it measures 5,259 miles, which puts it in the second distance band.
A one-way flight between the two cities costs 40,000 points in economy or 70,000 points in business class, with just shy of 800 miles left to add a connection before you cross into the next distance band.
While Edelweiss Air might not have the most competitive business class product, it’s a great option to keep in mind if you prioritize non-stop flights or in the absence of other business class availability from your primary hub.
Conclusion
Swiss airline Edelweiss Air will begin twice-weekly flights between Halifax (YHZ) and Zurich (ZRH) on July 3, 2025, creating the first non-stop link between the two cities.
The new route will be serviced by the airline’s Airbus A340-300 aircraft, which seats 314 passengers in economy and business class.
The non-stop route is a great addition for Atlantic Canadians travelling to Europe in the summer, as they usually have to double back to a primary hub to get across the Atlantic to Switzerland and beyond.
