Swissair was the launch operator of the Airbus A310 in commercial service in 1983.
The A310 was Airbus's second commercial aircraft family, developed as a shorter-fuselage companion to the A300. It retained the A300's wide-body design but used a shorter fuselage and a redesigned wing, making it suitable for medium- and long-range routes with fewer passengers.
Swissair began A310 commercial operations in April 1983. The airline had been one of the aircraft's launch customers and helped introduce the type to scheduled passenger service.
The A310 later became important in both passenger and freighter roles. It was also adapted for military transport and aerial-refuelling missions. It is sometimes confused with the A300 because the two aircraft share a broad design lineage, but the A310 is shorter and uses a distinct wing and flight-deck configuration.