Swissair was the first airline to operate a commercial flight using the Airbus A310.
The airline introduced the A310 on scheduled passenger service in 1983. The aircraft was a shorter-fuselage, twin-engine development related to the Airbus A300, and it helped establish the market for efficient wide-body aircraft on medium- and long-haul routes.
The A310 carried fewer passengers than the A300 while retaining a wide cabin and twin-aisle configuration. Its design made it suitable for routes that did not require the capacity of larger wide-body aircraft.
Swissair was a major Airbus customer and also operated other Airbus models. The airline ceased operations in 2002 after financial problems; parts of its business and fleet were absorbed into the later Swiss International Air Lines.