Today, Lufthansa is backed by a mixed fleetparticularly on its lines long-haul which fluctuate between Boeing 747 and Airbus A350 or even MD-11s for cargo flights. The company is therefore planning to rationalise the entire fleet of wide-body aircraft used by the group's airlines. The aim is to reduce the number of different types of long-haul aircraft, from fourteen to six or seven by the year 2010. 2025. In this way, Lufthansa hopes to achievesignificant savings in operating costsof maintenance and training.
This rationalisation exercise concerns the 13 Boeing 747-400s and 17 Airbus A340-600s, as well as the last 6 Airbus A380s still operated by Lufthansa Passage (Lufthansa airline). The same applies to the 26 A340-300s, which are shared between Lufthansa (10 aircraft), Lufthansa City Line (5), Brussels Airlines (2), Swiss (5) and Edelweiss Air (4). Still at Airbus, the airline will be getting rid of seven Sunexpress A330-220s and four Brussels Airlines A330s of the same model.
At its Austrian subsidiary Austrian AirlinesIn addition, Lufthansa plans to withdraw the six Boeing 777-200s and six 767-300 ERs still operated on long-haul routes by 2024/2025. Finally, Lufthansa has confirmed that it will be withdrawing the twelve MD-11s operated by its cargo subsidiary from its fleet. However, the airline has not yet decided whether it will withdraw its Boeing 747-8s delivered from 2012 onwards before 2025.
Over the next six years, on average, a new aircraft will join the Group's fleet every 15 days. 270 units ordered.
From 2025As a result, the Group's long-haul fleet will comprise seven types: for Lufthansa Passage, the fleet will include A380-800s, Boeing 747-8s, Boeing 777-9s, Airbus A350-900s and Airbus A330-300s. Swiss will have a fleet of Airbus A330-300s and Boeing 777-300ERs, with Brussels Airlines and Edelweiss retaining Airbus A330-300s. Boeing 777-Fs will equip the Lufthansa Cargo fleet, while orders for additional Airbus A350-900s have not yet been dispatched.
Lufthansa has signed a order for 20 Boeing 787-9 at the beginning of the year. The airline also plans to bring the first of its 20 Boeing 777-9s into service in 2020. Experts believe that the Boeing 787-9 will probably be the most suitable aircraft for Austrian Airlines. However, we are still awaiting a decision on the future fleet of Austrian Airlines, which could be announced in the course of 2020.
On the lines short and medium-haulAs a result, the group will now operate only two aircraft models, the A320 and the A321neo. The company has placed a centralised order for 82 A320neo and 46 A321neo aircraft, which will be delivered to all airlines in a standardised configuration. This standardisation will allow greater flexibility in fleet management and the easy transfer of aircraft from one airline to another as required.
