Lufthansa Group has ordered 10 wide-body, long-range aircraft in a fleet modernization program, intended to replace its dated Airbus A340 jets with five A350-900s and five Boeing 787-9s. The total capital investment was not announced.
The A350-900 has a listed value of $317.4 million, meaning that part of the order could be worth $1.59 billion for Airbus. The 787-9 has a reported cost of $145 million, so Boeing’s take could be worth $725 million.
Lufthansa noted the new jets will improve its overall fuel efficiency, detailing that the new, twin-engine aircraft will consume about 2.5 liters of fuel per passenger per 100 km flown, which is about 30% less than many current long-haul aircraft models.
Both the A350-900 and 787-9 are designed with a high proportion of lightweight composite materials and incorporate fuel-efficient design features and engine technologies.
Boeing explained that Lufthansa’s order for five 787-9 Dreamliners follows its 2019 booking for 20 787-9s, raising its total order to 25 of the wide-body jet. The 787-9 is the mid-range version of Boeing’s wide-body 787 series, with capacity for 280 passengers and a range of 8,786 miles (14,140 km.)
Deliveries of the new Dreamliners will begin later this year, reportedly from the inventory of aircraft built for other carriers that later cancelled their orders. Lufthansa could have the new Dreamliners in service by 2022.
Lufthansa’s deal with Airbus calls for five A350-900s to be delivered in 2027 and 2028. The A350 seats 325 passengers, and has a range of 9,320 miles (15,000 km.)
Lufthansa and Airbus also agreed to restructure some other planned deliveries. Lufthansa will take deliveries of multiple new Airbus A320 aircraft on a nearly monthly schedule this year, and a total of 107 Airbus A320s through 2027.
