Fresh after announcing Allegris (and yes, we’re still working through that announcement), Lufthansa Group’s shopping spree goes on, with 15 more Airbus A350s to be added to the fleet and seven Boeing 787-9.
Lufthansa Group has signed an agreement with Airbus to expand its fleet by 10 Airbus A350-1000s and 5 Airbus A350-900s. This will mark the first time the airline is taking the larger variant of the Airbus A350.
In addition to the agreement on the purchase of the new aircraft, Airbus and Lufthansa have also signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) to further strengthen their cooperation in the field of sustainability and future technologies. This includes the intensified use of sustainable aviation fuels, the further optimisation of operations through a more efficient flight management and exploration into the use of hydrogen.
The airline will also add a further seven Boeing 787-9 aircraft to the order book too.
In Quotes
Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International said
“We are honoured to see Lufthansa topping up its A350 order book to a total of 60 aircraft, joining the increasing number of A350-1000 customers around the world. With economic and sustainability pressures becoming a measurable reality as international flying increases again, so do the massive advantages of the A350 as the only clean sheet design and therefore the most efficient solution,”
“By adding the largest A350 family member to its fleet, Lufthansa will benefit from Airbus’ full fleet commonality, offering unmatched operational flexibility and vast economic benefits.”
Carsten Spohr, Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, says:
“With our purchase of 22 further Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s, we have secured the delivery of more than 50 latest-generation long-haul aircraft for the member airlines of the Lufthansa Group since the pandemic began. These aircraft will be equipped with our new long-haul cabins, including the latest-generation seats in all classes of travel. And the combination of our superb employees on the ground and on board, these highly advanced aircraft and our latest seating product on board will position our airlines well to the fore again within the premium segment. These new aircraft will also play a decisive role in helping us achieve our carbon emission reduction goals by 2030 as fuel-efficient aircraft which incorporate the latest manufacturing technology are by far the greatest lever for providing more climate protection within the aviation sector.”
Withdrawals ahead
Sadly, with new aircraft coming in, older aircraft must exit. The new long-haul aircraft also replace older aircraft types. In the medium-term future, six such sub-fleets will be taken out of service, including:
- Boeing 747-400
- Airbus A340-600
- Airbus A340-300
- Boeing 777-200
- Boeing 767-300
- Airbus A330-200
This will reduce the quad jet contingent within the Lufthansa Group fleet to under 15 per cent: before the pandemic, quad jets made up around 50 per cent of the groupwide aircraft fleet.
It also will bring fleet simplification as the airline reduces the number of different types of aircraft. With simplification, comes lower costs too.
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