Lufthansa Group has confirmed the order of 80 new Boeing and Airbus aircraft in what the company calls the largest fleet modernization in the group’s history. The order is split between 40 Boeing 737-8 MAX and 40 Airbus A220-300s, with additional purchasing options for 60 Boeing 737-8 MAXs, 20 Airbus A220-300s and 40 additional aircraft of the A320 family.
“We are pleased that both Airbus and Boeing were able to convince us on all commercial and technological aspects”, Dr Detlef Kayser, Member of the Executive Board, Fleet and Technology, said in a statement. Convincing Lufthansa of the aircraft capabilities is quite the achievement for the manufacturers, considering Reuters calls the group “one of the industry’s most technically demanding buyers”.
With today’s aircraft order, we are accelerating the largest fleet modernization in our company’s history.
Dr Detlef Kayser, Member of the Executive Board, Fleet and Technology
“Today’s aircraft order (…) increases our order list of around 200 aircraft to 280 – plus an additional 120 purchasing options for further state-of-the-art short- and medium-haul aircraft”, said Kayser. “The order demonstrates our airlines’ future viability and ability to invest, and it shows that we are living up to our responsibility to reduce our carbon emissions.”
The Airbus A220-300s are intended for use by the newly founded airline Lufthansa City Airlines and will be deployed on short-haul routes from Frankfurt and Munich. The 148-seat, latest-generation aircraft is already well-known and appreciated by the industry for its fuel efficiency, using around 2.5 litters of fuel per 100 passenger kilometres. The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery in 2026.
In addition to the firm orders, Lufthansa Group has secured a further 40 purchase options for aircraft from the A320 family. Around 450 aircraft of this model series are currently in service with Lufthansa Group airlines, making it well-established in the short- and medium-haul segment. 71 A320neo and A321neo aircraft that have already been ordered will be delivered in the next few years.
The Boeing 737-8 MAXs will be deployed in one of Lufthansa Group’s other flight operations besides Lufthansa itself and Swiss. The choice remains between Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings and Discover Airlines, but an exact decision will be made at a later date. The aircraft will have 190 seats in Business and Economy Class and will only consume around 2.2 litters per 100 passenger-kilometres. The first aircraft is expected in the third quarter of 2027.
According to Reuters, this is Lufthansa’s first buy of Boeing narrow body planes in about 30 years. But Kayser praised the planes for being quieter, more economical, more efficient and emitting up to 30% less CO2 than their predecessor models, as well as providing “additional comfort” for guests.
With a current fleet of more than 700 commercial aircraft, the Lufthansa Group is pursuing a long-term fleet strategy focused on cost efficiency and reducing emissions. Compared to their predecessor models, the new additions to the Lufthansa Group fleet have up to 30% lower fuel consumption and correspondingly lower carbon emissions. The group aims to halve its net carbon emissions by 2030 compared to 2019 in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
The aircraft orders are worth around $9 billion (€8.21 billion) at list prices, Lufthansa confirmed. However, when placing relatively large orders, airlines usually get generous discounts from manufacturers that can go as high as 50%. Nevertheless, 40 aircraft might not be enough to secure a large deal. When placing a historic order of 300 Boeing planes at the beginning of the year, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary revealed that an additional 100 jets were added to the deal to bring the parties closer to a convenient offer.
