Lufthansa has announced the purchase of ten new widebody aircraft, as the carrier moves forward with the modernisation of its fleet.
Five B787-9s will be delivered between this winter and the first half of 2022 – Lufthansa Group was able to secure deliveries at relatively short notice, following discussions with Boeing which has seen it purchase already manufactured Dreamliners which had been destined for other carriers before the onset of the Covid-19 crisis.
The deal has also seen the group reach an agreement with Boeing on a restructured delivery plan for the rest of its aircraft on order.
Meanwhile five newly ordered A350-900s will be delivered in 2027 and 2028, with Lufthansa again having agreed a restructuring of planned deliveries with Airbus.
Lufthansa Group said that the B787-9s and A350-900s “will essentially replace the four-engine A340 long-haul aircraft” – the group is aiming to reduce the number of four-engine aircraft in its fleets from 50 per cent before the crisis to less than 15 per cent by the middle of the decade.
Last April Lufthansa announced plans to downsize its fleet, permanently retiring selected A380, A340 and B747 aircraft, and CEO Carsten Spohr recently said that “In the current situation, we do not see any prospect of the A380 in our fleet”.
Lufthansa to permanently retire selected A380, A340 and B747 aircraft
Commenting on the new aircraft orders Spohr 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.”
