Lufthansa orders 22 Airbus and Boeing long haul aircraft

Render of a Lufthansa Airbus A350 in flight
Image Credit: Lufthansa
Len Varley - Assistant Editor 4 Min Read
4 Min Read

The Lufthansa Group has placed a bulk order for 22 next generation long haul aircraft. The order, which gives the mix of Airbus and Boeing aircraft comprises 10 Airbus A350-1000 and 5 Airbus A350-900 aircraft.

On the Boeing side, 7 Boeing 787-9 ‘Dreamliner’ widebody aircraft are included.

Approved today by the parent company, the aircraft concerned will be delivered to the Lufthansa Group from the mid-2020s onwards.

Based on list prices, the order is worth a total of approximately 7.5 billion US dollars and is said to be in line with Group’s mid-term financial planning.

Further long-haul acquisition


In addition to the announced 22 new aircraft, the Lufthansa Group is also in advanced negotiations to acquire further long-haul aircraft which could be made available at shorter notice.

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.”

“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,” he concluded.

New aircraft tally


With today’s orders included, the Lufthansa Group will now take delivery of a total of 108 long-haul aircraft such as the Airbus A350-1000, the Airbus A350-900, the Boeing 787-9 and the Boeing 777-9 over the next few years.

 In doing so, the Group will operate the quietest, most profitable and most economical long-haul aircraft that are currently in service.

On average the new aircraft consume just 2.5 liters of fuel per passenger per 100 kilometers – some 30 percent less than their predecessor aircraft types.

Fleet rationalisation


The new long-haul aircraft will also replace older aircraft types. In the medium-term future, six such sub-fleets will be taken out of service:

  • The four-engined Boeing 747-400s,
  • Airbus A340-600s and Airbus A340-300s, and
  • The twin-engined Boeing 777-200s, Boeing 767-300s and Airbus A330-200s.

This will reduce the quadjet contingent within the Lufthansa Group fleet to under 15 percent. Prior to the pandemic, quadjets made up some 50 percent of the groupwide aircraft fleet.

In total, and including the advanced short- and medium-haul aircraft of the Airbus A320neo family, the Lufthansa Group currently has over 200 firm orders for new aircraft of the latest generation which will be delivered over the next few years.

The Airbus A350-1000


The Airbus A350-1000 will be a new addition to the Lufthansa Group fleet. The aircraft is 73.8 meters long and offers some 15 percent more capacity than the Airbus A350-900.

The ten A350-1000s on order should primarily be deployed in premium-heavy markets. Therefore, all these aircraft will be equipped with a First Class cabin.

The Airbus A350-900


Lufthansa already operates 21 of these aircraft with sizeable success. With the five aircraft ordered today, the Lufthansa Group will now take delivery of 33 further transports of this long-haul aircraft type.

The Boeing 787-9


Three Boeing 787-9s are presently in Lufthansa Group service. With today’s order included, 36 further Boeing 787-9s will join the Group fleet over the next few years.

You Might Also Enjoy