Swissair's president, Dr. Berchtold, retired at the end of 1971 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age. He was succeeded by Armin Baltensweiler, an administrator with a strong background in aeronautical engineering. Swissair under Baltensweiler continued to expand and modernize its fleet. One of the airplanes it was particularly interested in purchasing was the A-310, produced by the European Airbus consortium. Swissair later ordered 10 of these airplanes.