fredag 20. september 2013

Lufthansa på hogget

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Lufthansa Splits Largest Order Between Airbus, Boeing

Woodrow Bellamy III
Lufthansa on Thursday announced the largest aircraft order in its company history, an $18.9 billion order for 59 Airbus and Boeing passenger jets, including the 777X, the latest version of Boeing's 777 family. 
Photo, courtesy of Airbus.
The German carrier said the order for 34 Boeing 777-9X and 25 Airbus A350-900 aircraft will reduce its fuel consumption by 25 percent and lead to a reduction in its noise footprint of "at least 30 percent." First delivery of the new aircraft is scheduled for 2016, as the airline looks to replace its aging Boeing 747-400s and Airbus A340-300s by 2025. 
Lufthansa projects the new aircraft will lead to an overall 20 percent reduction in its operating costs. 
According to Airbus, the A350 order includes options for 30 additional aircraft along with flexibility to convert a portion of the aircraft to the larger A350-1000 variant. Lufthansa will equip its A350s Trent XWB engines, as it placed a $1.5 billion order with Rolls-Royce Thursday as well. 
Boeing has targeted a launch date for its 777X family by the end of this year, with entry into service scheduled for 2020. The order will make Lufthansa the launch customer for the  777X.

How-70-gas-guzzling-jets-are-killing-lufthansa


Lufthansa announced a 59-jet order today intended to replace its long-haul fleet, splitting the hefty purchase between Boeing (BA) and Airbus. The German airline will buy 34 of Boeing's new 777-9X and 25 Airbus A350-900, with the first scheduled to arrive in 2016. Neither jet is yet in production, and Boeing's board hasn't even approved the 777-9X program. The deal is valued at $19 billion at list prices, without counting discounts typically given for large orders.

Behind the headlines, however, lies an ugly reality: Lufthansa (LHA:GR) is stuck with a fleet of 48 Airbus A340s and 22 Boeing 747-400s, both of which have four engines and higher operating costs than newer, two-engine models. Neither of the older airplanes is still being built, although Boeing does turn out a newer 747-8 Intercontinental-and Lufthansa has bought nine of those, too. Airbus and Boeing have been buying back 747s and A340s from some customers as deal enticements to help sell newer planes.

The last of the older gas guzzlers isn't expected to be phased out of Lufthansa's fleet for another 12 years, but the fuel savings from newer models can't come soon enough. The airline said the new jumbo jets will reduce its fuel costs by a whopping 25 percent, on average.

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