New Aircraft Will Fit 'Seamlessly' Into Lufthansa's Fleet And Strategy

Lufthansa's Supervisory Board has approved the acquisition of 30 Airbus A320neo Family aircraft worth approximately $2.8 billion. The order comprises 25 A320neo and five A321neo aircraft. With this latest selection the Lufthansa Group, Airbus's biggest airline customer, will have acquired a combined total of 443 Airbus aircraft. The engine decision will be announced by the airline at a later date.

The A320neo incorporates new more efficient engines and large "Sharklet" wing tip devices, which Airbus says together will deliver up to 15 percent in fuel savings. This will represent some 3,600 tons less CO2 per aircraft, per year. In addition, the A320neo will provide a double-digit reduction in NOx emissions and reduced engine noise, thus being a good neighbour at any airport where Lufthansa is operating the aircraft.

"We salute Lufthansa's decision for sustainable growth with our eco-efficient A320neo aircraft, which will fit seamlessly into its Airbus A320 fleet," said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. "Since its launch in December last year, the 'neo' has taken the market by storm and has already attracted more than 330 commitments - with more to come. This represents the fastest rate of sales for any commercial aircraft ever."

The airline has also selected the 777 freighter to support its global air freight operations.

"The 777 freighter is a highly fuel-efficient airplane with low-noise emissions, meeting QC2 noise standards," Boeing said in a statement. "The long-range and high-capacity 777 freighter features the lowest trip cost of any large freighter and will provide superior economics to Lufthansa."

FMI: www.airbus.com, www.boeing.com