Lufthansa is simplifying its international fleet holdings, dropping eight of the eleven aircraft types currently in the fleet, and introducing two new models, leaving it with a newer and easier to maintain fleet for the German airline and its Belgian, Swiss and Austrian subsidiaries.
While some of the changes were clearly predictable over time, some of them were rushed forward by the pandemic that has left most airlines gasping for passengers and cash. Newer and fewer models means savings in maintenance and in reducing parts and equipment inventories.
At the ‘very large’ category, the A380 has no place in the future, while the newer 747-800s will continue. In ‘large,’ the 747-400s will be sold off or scrapped as well, replaced by 777x-9s as they begin arriving.
The 747-800 will also be Lufthansa’s only four-engine plane, as the remaining A340s are being dropped from the ‘medium category, along with the smaller 777-200; 777-300 and A350-9 will be the remaining planes in that group. From the ‘small’ group, the A330-200 and 767-300 will go, leaving A330-300 and the new 787-9.
The cuts extend to freighters as well; the last three-engine MD11 freighters will go, leaving only 777 freighters.
Some of the shifts will take a couple of years as they depend on arrival of new aircraft; others will be effective during this year. Interestingly, when the changes are complete, Lufthansa Group will be a mainly Boeing line intercontinentally, and an exclusively Airbus line in Europe.
Photo: departing forever, soon: the MD11F
