Lufthansa orders 22 long-haul aircraft from Airbus and Boeing
Germany’s flag carrier, Lufthansa Group, has decided to purchase additional advanced long-haul planes. Specifically, the Group Executive Board has approved the acquisition of 10 Airbus A350-1000 passenger planes, 5 Airbus A350-900 passenger planes, and 7 Boeing 787-9 ‘Dreamliner’ passenger planes. These latest-generation aircraft are scheduled to be delivered to Lufthansa Group starting from the mid-2020s.
The order is valued at around 7.5 billion US dollars according to the list prices and is aligned with Lufthansa’s mid-term financial strategy. Additionally, the Lufthansa Group is currently in advanced negotiations to acquire more long-haul aircraft, which, according to the airline, may be accessible on shorter notice.
Lufthansa is slowly upgrading its fleet
Lufthansa upgrades its fleet with the latest-generation aircraft. In total, the airline will receive 108 modern long-haul planes, including models such as the Airbus A350-1000, Airbus A350-900, Boeing 787-9 and Boeing 777-9. These aircraft are known for being highly fuel-efficient, quiet and cost-effective to operate. In fact, they use just 2.5 litres of fuel per passenger per 100 kilometres, which is 30% less than older models.
The 108 modern long-haul airplanes, combined with the advanced short- and medium-haul Airbus A320neo family planes, totals 200 orders for new state-of-the-art aircraft to be delivered to the Lufthansa Group over the next few years.
Which planes will be replaced in Lufthansa’s fleet
The Lufthansa Group plans to retire six subfleets of older planes in the near future, which includes the four-engined Boeing 747-400s, Airbus A340-600s, and Airbus A340-300s, as well as the two-engined Boeing 777-200s, Boeing 767-300s, and Airbus A330-200s. These subfleets will be replaced by the new long-haul planes, resulting in a decrease in the percentage of quadjet planes within the fleet of Lufthansa. Prior to the pandemic, quadjet planes accounted for roughly 50% of the airline’s fleet, but after the retirement of the subfleets, they will make up less than 15%.
Lufthansa’s future vision
Following the announcement of the new orders, Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Carsten Spohr said:
“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.”
The Airbus order
Lufthansa Group has ordered 10 Airbus A350-1000s and 5 Airbus A350-900s to expand its fleet. The A350-1000 is a new addition to the airline’s fleet, which already includes 21 A350-900s. With the latest order, Lufthansa will receive a total of 33 A350-900 aircraft. According to Airbus, the A350 is the quietest twin-aisle aircraft, so passengers will enjoy state-of-the-art on-board amenities and comfort.
In addition to the aircraft purchase, Airbus and Lufthansa have signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ to enhance their collaboration in the area of sustainability and future technologies. The two companies plan to make greater use of sustainable aviation fuels, optimise operations through efficient flight management and explore the use of hydrogen.
By January 2023, the A350 family has received 925 firm orders from 54 customers worldwide, making it one of the most successful wide-body aircraft types.
The Boeing order
Lufthansa has announced an order for 7 new long-haul Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Currently, the German airline already has three 787-9s in service, and this order will add another 36 of these Boeing planes to improve Lufthansa’s fleet in the coming years.
