Lufthansa Group orders 22 latest-generation long-haul aircraft

The Lufthansa Group is purchasing 10 Airbus A350-1000, five Airbus A350-900, and seven Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner passenger aircraft. The orders were approved by the Supervisory Board of parent company Deutsche Lufthansa AG. The aircraft in the order will be delivered to the Lufthansa Group from the mid-2020s onwards. Based on list prices, the order is worth a total of about $7.5 billion.

The Lufthansa Group is also in advanced negotiations to acquire further long-haul aircraft which could be made available at shorter notice.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG CEO Carsten Spohr 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.”

With these orders included, the Lufthansa Group will take delivery of 108 state-of-the-art long-haul aircraft such as the Airbus A350-1000, Airbus A350-900, the Boeing 787-9 and Boeing 777-9 during the next few years. In doing so, the Group will operate the quietest and most economical long-haul aircraft currently in service. On average, the new aircraft consume just 2.5L of fuel per passenger per 100km – some 30% less than their predecessor aircraft.

The new long-haul aircraft will also replace older aircraft types to be taken out of service: the four-engine Boeing 747-400s, Airbus A340-600s, and Airbus A340-300s. This will reduce the quadjet contingent within the Lufthansa Group fleet to less than 15%. Prior to the pandemic, quadjets made up some 50% of the groupwide aircraft fleet. Also being retired are twin-engine Boeing 777-200s, Boeing 767-300s, and Airbus A330-200s.

Airbus and Lufthansa officials also signed a memorandum of understanding to further strengthen the companies’ cooperation in sustainability and future technologies. This includes the intensified use of sustainable aviation fuels, the further optimization of operations through more efficient flight management, and exploration into the use of hydrogen.

In total, including the advanced short- and medium-haul aircraft of the Airbus A320neo family, the Lufthansa Group currently has more than 200 firm orders for new aircraft.

The Airbus A350-1000 will be a new addition to the Lufthansa Group fleet and offers some 15% more capacity than the Airbus A350-900.

Lufthansa already operates 21 Airbus A350-900s. With the five aircraft ordered, Lufthansa Group will take delivery of 33 further transports of this type.

At the end of January 2023, the A350 family had 925 firm orders from 54 customers worldwide, according to Airbus officials.

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