Thursday, July 2, 2015

Lufthansa does not need more VLAs

Lufthansa Boeing 747-830 (32828/1451) D-ABYC under tow at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX/KLAX) on January 10, 2013.
(Photo by Michael Carter)

Lufthansa said its 33 very large aircraft (VLA)—the Airbus A380 and Boeing-747-8I—is a good number for the company but does not expect to add more, Lufthansa Group chairman & CEO Carsten Spohr told ATW in Warsaw.

“For many years we had 30 large aircraft [Boeing 747-400s]; now we have 10% more [in terms of large aircraft capacity],” Spohr said.

Lufthansa will continue to operate several 747-400s in a two-class configuration into the next decade. Spohr said he is satisfied with the performance of the 747-8 and A380 aircraft.

“Of course [operating VLAs] limits your network in a certain degree because you need airports that are equipped for them, but the reliability is just as high as other widebodies in our fleet,” he said.

Lufthansa plans to add Mumbai to its Airbus A380 network, in addition to its Delhi A380 operation, as soon as it receives approval from Indian authorities.

The Lufthansa Group will receive 259 new aircraft by 2025, including 34 Boeing 777-9Xs and 25 Airbus A350-900s. The A350-900 will is scheduled to be delivered from 2016 and the first aircraft will be based in Munich.

(Kurt Hofmann - ATWOnline News)

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