Lufthansa Group orders additional Airbus A320neo family aircraft
The Lufthansa Group supervisory board has announced that they have elected to convert options for 24 Airbus A320neos and three A321neos into firm orders, totaling $3 billion at current list prices.
Set to be delivered between 2023 and 2024, the group cites a positive market and earnings development for the order and wants to ensure they have all the aircraft they need for future growth.
This new order now sets the total A320neo family order within the group to 149 aircraft, with Lufthansa already operating 13. Of the 27 newly ordered aircraft, ten are intended for Swiss. Nothing has been said as to where the rest will go.
A mix of Pratt and Whitney PW1100G Geared Turbofan engines and CFM LEAP engines have been chosen to power the aircraft. The order will be roughly split between the two engines to allow for both engine types to be available across the group.
It’s worth noting that Lufthansa has recently been increasingly disappointed in Pratt and Whitney’s Geared Turbofan engine and its problems. Although Pratt is working hard to fix them, more issues have popped up which has required engines to be inspected or deliveries to be delayed.
Over the next few years, Airbus plans to further improve the A320neo family with minor adjustments and engine manufacturer performance upgrades, just like they do with all of their aircraft. The improvements are expected to bring the fuel savings from 15% to 20% by 2020.
