Lufthansa Group’s supervisory board on Thursday approved the purchase of 22 widebodies worth $7.5 billion at list prices, the company said. The order consists of 10 Airbus A350-1000s, five A350-900s, and seven Boeing 787-9s, deliveries of which the company expects to start in the mid-2020s. Including Thursday's orders, Lufthansa Group plans to take delivery of 108 long-haul aircraft, including Boeing 777-9s, over the “next few years.” Boeing expects the 777-9 to gain certification in 2025.
The new long-haul aircraft will also replace older aircraft types, said Lufthansa. In the medium term, the company plans to take out of service six such subfleets: Boeing 747-400s, 777-200s, and 767-300s, as well as its Airbus A340-600s, A340-300s, and A330-200s. The moves will reduce the quadjet contingent within the Lufthansa Group fleet to less than 15 percent; before the pandemic, quadjets accounted for some 50 percent of the groupwide aircraft fleet. In total and including the short- and medium-haul aircraft of the Airbus A320neo family, the Lufthansa Group has placed orders for more than 200 new aircraft for delivery over the next few years.
The group also has entered advanced negotiations to acquire further long-haul aircraft that Boeing and Airbus could make available at shorter notice.
Along with the latest purchase agreement, Airbus and Lufthansa have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen their cooperation in the field of sustainability and future technologies. The plans include greater use of sustainable aviation fuels, further optimization of operations through more efficient flight management, and exploration into the use of hydrogen.
“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,” said Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr. “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.”