Posted by Sade Williams
Lufthansa said it will order up to 16 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing, with a value of EUR€2.1 billion (USD$2.5 billion) at list prices if all options are taken up.
The Lufthansa group board approved the orders at a meeting on Monday, with deliveries to be completed by 2022, the airline said.
Signalling a continuing shortfall in Airbus A320neo deliveries, Lufthansa said it will order up to six A320ceos, depending on availability, for immediate deployment. It also converted six A320neo options to firm orders for 2022 delivery.
According to Airwise reports, Lufthansa’s SWISS unit will get two Boeing 777-300ERs to add to its existing fleet of ten of the type. With deliveries starting in 2020, SWISS will use the new aircraft to expand its route network.
A company statement said the long-haul order “highlights the strategy of Lufthansa Group to predominantly allocate the growth within its multi-hub system where cost and quality offer the best conditions for profitable investments.”
Rounding off the new orders, Lufthansa Cargo will take two additional Boeing 777F freighters to replace older MD11s. The cargo subsidiary currently operates 12 MD11 and five 777F freighters.