Director of Network Planning for Lufthansa, Tamur Goudarzi-Pour outlined the German carrier’s fleet development and strategy plans for the next four years to Business Traveller during an informal briefing at Munich airport, with the standardisation of its on board product and the procurement of next generation aircraft the clear driving force.
Lufthansa has recently announced that it will take part in the Star Alliance long-haul economy seat programme in association with B/E Aerospace (see online news 04/10/11).
The joint procurement initiative will give all Star Alliance members the option to purchase a standardised base for their long-haul economy seats. Air China, Austrian and Lufthansa will be the first Star carriers to fit the product to their long-haul fleets from 2012, with Lufthansa set to retrofit its A330 and A340-600s initially.
This standardisation of the carrier’s economy product will be supplemented by a new first class product which is already on board the A380 and which will be rolled out across the rest of the fleet by 2015. A new lie flat business class product will come with the B747-800s, of which Lufthansa has 20 on order, and will then be rolled out to the A380 and other intercontinental aircraft over the next four years.
“We have a huge European network and actually what we now will do is bring up our fleet successively in the next year on the intercontinental side. The plan is for 2016 to have 34 aircraft [up from 26],” says Goudarzi-Pour, “I think it is very important to have a stable product for the premium approach we have in Munich and the focus we have on corporate and business passengers transferring.”
Lufthansa operates a total of eight Airbus A380s on long-haul services from Frankfurt to Asia (Tokyo, Beijing), Africa (Johannesburg) and North America (New York, San Francisco, Miami), with two more scheduled to join the fleet next year and a total of 17 by 2015.
Lufthansa is also the launch customer for what will be the world’s longest jetliner, the B747-800, which the carrier will configure with 386 seats in three classes.
On board the B747-400 Lufthansa has decided to reduce first class capacity from 16 to eight by fitting a fully flat bed and completely separate seat. Ten aircraft already have the new seat with a view to eventually fitting it on board the entire B744 fleet, of which the carrier has 30 in three different configurations.
Goudarzi-Pour also stressed the need to cut the number of smaller regional aircraft from the Lufthansa fleet in order to increase capacity and profitability. “We must have a minimum size to make it economically viable so we have kicked out all of the 50 seaters already and next will be to kick out the 70 seaters” says Goudarzi-Pour.
The installation of the new ultra thin Recaro seats on the carrier’s short haul fleet is nearing completion and allows for it to “put in more seats and create more space for customers,” according to Goudarzi-Pour. The eight A319s from the recently folded Lufthansa Italia brand will also be repainted and fitted with the Recaro seats.
Goudarzi-Pour, as head of strategic planning, concluded by stressing the importance that the now approved third runway at Munich is allowed to press ahead. The runway is currently facing strong opposition from local groups and the German Green party.
If building is allowed to go ahead the third runway should be completed by 2016, allowing the airport to support increased capacity.
Lufthansa currently only serves its Frankfurt hub with the A380 superjumbo, but will operate the superjumbo between Munich and New York in the period leading up to Christmas, and Emirates is also set to serve Munich airport with the A380 from November (see online news October 10).
For more information visit lufthansa.com
Report by Scott Carey
