Lufthansa Group is accelerating its effort to ‘decarbonize’ its long-haul aircraft fleet with orders for 22 new wide-body jets from Airbus SE and Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The total cost of the order for 10 A350-1000 and five A350-900 jets from Airbus, and seven new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, is estimated at $7.5 billion at list prices.
The German carrier previously had orders in place for 36 of the new Boeing 787-9s, and is set to be the launch customer for Boeing’s forthcoming 777-9.
“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 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.”
Reportedly, Lufthansa is also in discussion with both Airbus and Boeing to acquire more long-distance jets that might be available sooner than the scheduled deliveries of the newly ordered aircraft – for example, aircraft that are complete or nearing completion but undelivered to airlines that ordered them.
With the new aircraft, Lufthansa will be retiring various older aircraft models, mostly four-engine designs, including Airbus A330s and A340s, and Boeing 747s, 767s, and 777-200s.
Along with the new purchase agreement, Airbus and Lufthansa signed a memorandum of understanding to expand their cooperation on matters of “sustainability and future technologies,” including use of sustainable aviation fuels, more efficient flight management, and exploration of hydrogen fuel capabilities.
