In a bid to streamline operations and educe aircraft running costs, Lufthansa Group has confirmed the placement of an order for 20 Boeing 787-900 and Airbus A350-900 state-of-the-art long-haul jets. While neither the Group nor the two airplane makers would confirm the agreed purchase figures, at book prices the deals have a total value of US$12 billion. Set for delivery between 2022 and 2027, the new jets will replace existing four-engine long-haul aircraft.
Commenting on the Group’s decision, Carsten Spohr, CEO and Chairman of Lufthansa Group, said: “By replacing four-engine planes with new models, we are laying a sustainable foundation for our future in the long run. In addition to the cost-effectiveness of the A350 and B787, the significantly lower CO2 emissions of this new generation of long-haul aircraft was also a decisive factor in our investment decision. Our responsibility for the environment is becoming more and more important as a criterion for our decisions.”
Incorporating these new more-economical aircraft, operating costs in comparison to early aircraft should drop by around 20 percent. Additionally, Lufthansa Group should significantly reduce the diversification and complexity of its fleet over the next few years through taking seven aircraft types out of service, so reducing cost and complexity for maintenance and the supply of replacement parts.
The Lufthansa Group will also sell six of its 14 Airbus A380 planes to Airbus. The aircraft will be leaving Lufthansa in 2022 and 2023. Lufthansa continuously monitors the profitability of its world-wide route network. As a consequence, the group is reducing the size of its Airbus A380 fleet from 14 aircraft to eight for economic reasons.
