Lufthansa is pushing ahead with its fleet modernisation, with the addition of 10 new long-haul aircraft to its fleet.
New aircraft for Lufthansa – Image, Lufthansa Group
The airline will take delivery of an extra five Airbus A350-900 and five Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The purchase was approved by the Lufthansa board.
It is planned that these new aircraft will operate for Lufthansa itself.
Let us take a look at the breakdown – there are some interesting titbits in them
Boeing 787-9
Lufthansa Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner – Image, Lufthansa
It seems that the Boeing 787-9s will join the Lufthansa fleet in short order, with the first 787-9 to fly for the airline in Winter 2021, with the rest joining the Lufthansa fleet during the first half of 2022.
The airline will be taking on aircraft that had been ordered by some airlines that could not be delivered in the past twelve months – and have worked with Boeing to purchase the five aircraft that have been already manufactured.
Lufthansa’s move brings the total number of firm orders for Boeing 787-9s and Boeing 777-9s to 45 aircraft. In addition, the Lufthansa Group reached an agreement with Boeing on a restructured delivery plan.
Airbus A350-900
Lufthansa Airbus A350-900 – Image, Lufthansa
The additional five Airbus A350-900 that have been ordered have longer delivery timelines, with them scheduled for delivery in 2027 and 2028. This brings the total number of firm orders for the A350-900 to 45 aircraft. The Lufthansa Group also agreed with Airbus on a restructuring of planned deliveries.
The short-haul fleet is being still being renewed, with the airline taking on a new Airbus A320 family aircraft for short and medium-haul routes on average every month. Delivery of a further 107 Airbus A320 Family aircraft is planned until 2027.
Wither A340
There’s not much of a future for the Airbus A340 – Image, Economy Class and Beyond
As you can guess, for aircraft that enter a fleet, aircraft could leave the fleet if they’re costing too much For Lufthansa Group, the Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A350-900 will essentially replace the four-engine Airbus A340 long-haul aircraft as part of this process.
Plans call for reducing the number of four-engine aircraft in the Lufthansa Group long-haul fleet to less than 15% by the middle of this decade; before the crisis, the share was around 50%. Considering that the new fuel-efficient aircraft will reduce operating costs by around 15%t compared with the models they replace.
In Quotes
Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, said:
“Even in these challenging times, we are continuing to invest in a more modern, more efficient and a lower emission Lufthansa Group fleet. At the same time, we are pushing ahead with the modernization of our long-haul fleet even faster than planned prior to the coronavirus pandemic due to anticyclical opportunities. The new aircraft are the most modern of their kind. We want to further expand our global leadership role, among other things, with cutting-edge premium products and a state-of-the-art fleet – especially because we have a responsibility to the environment.”
Turning White Tails into Serviceable aircraft
It’s an interesting move that Lufthansa has chosen to add extra aircraft to its fleet. With some aircraft awaiting new homes, it seems that the group chose a good time to add aircraft – and probably at a lower cost than expected.
Whilst the orders area good to see, it also gives the group to modify delivery timetables.
With the airline adding to the numbers from the 20 Boeing 787-9 and 20 Airbus A350-900s already on the book, the airline is focusing on the future, beyond current times and to the future.
Even it means adding a new type to the fleet a bit earlier than planned.
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