Lufthansa Technik handed over the first of two Airbus A321LR (Long Range) troop transporters to the German Armed Forces at the ILA Berlin. In the presence of Lufthansa Technik COO Soeren Stark and Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury, the State Secretary in the German Ministry of Defense, Benedikt Zimmer and the German Air Chief, Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz, formally took delivery of the aircraft with the tactical registration 15+10.
The conversion of the aircraft at Lufthansa Technik’s base in Hamburg began last December. In the months that followed, it was initially modified for flexible troop and passenger transport as well as parliamentary flight operations on short-, medium- and long-haul routes. The maximum capacity in this configuration is 136 passengers.
As part of this initial modification phase, Lufthansa Technik has already made numerous preparations for the so-called MedEvac role, which will expand the aircraft’s scope of operations to include capabilities for the qualified air transport of wounded, injured and diseased passengers. This encompassed, for example, extensive pre-modifications such as an extended oxygen supply on board, which is absolutely necessary for the upcoming use as a “flying intensive care unit”.
The necessary supplemental type certificate, both civil and military, for the aircraft together with the associated New Generation Patient Transport Units (German: Patiententransporteinheit Neuer Generation, in short: PTE NG) is planned for mid-2023. It will enable the transport of up to six intensive care patients or up to twelve mildly or moderately ill/injured patients. Lufthansa Technik will deliver a total of twelve units and two reserve units of the PTE NG to the German Armed Forces.
