Lufthansa Group orders 80 new highly efficient short- and medium-haul aircraft and agrees on a further 120 purchasing options

The Lufthansa Group is purchasing a total of 80 ultra-modern short and medium-haul aircraft. The company's Executive Board has decided on 

- The purchase of 40 Airbus A220-300s and 20 purchasing options 
- The purchase of 40 Boeing 737-8 MAX and 60 purchasing options 
- Purchasing options for 40 additional aircraft of the A320 family 

The Supervisory Board has approved the acquisition today. 

Dr. Detlef Kayser, Member of the Executive Board, Fleet and Technology: "With today's aircraft order, we are accelerating the largest fleet modernization in our company's history. This increases our order list of around 200 aircraft to 280 – plus an additional 120 purchasing options for further state-of-the-art short- and medium-haul aircraft. We are pleased that both Airbus and Boeing were able to convince us on all commercial and technological aspects. In addition to this, the decision for the Boeing 737-8 MAX will also give us more flexibility for the procurement of short- and medium-haul aircraft in the future. The new ultra-modern aircraft offer our guests additional comfort. They are also quieter, more economical, more efficient, and emit up to 30 percent less CO2 than their predecessor models. The order demonstrates our airlines' future viability and ability to invest, and it shows that we are living up to our responsibility to reduce our carbon emissions." 

Airbus A220-300 

This latest-generation aircraft has 148 seats and consumes around 2.5 liters of fuel per 100 passenger kilometers. The A220 is intended for use by the newly founded airline Lufthansa City Airlines and will be deployed on short-haul routes from Frankfurt and Munich. With its ultra-modern geared turbofan engines from Pratt & Whitney, the A220-300 is ideal for use in feeder traffic. The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery in 2026. 

Boeing 737-8 MAX 

The Boeing 737-8 MAX is the further development and 4th generation of the world's most widespread commercial aircraft. The aircraft will have 190 seats in Business and Economy Class and, thanks to its efficient engines from CFM International, will only consume around 2.2 liters per 100 passenger-kilometers. The first aircraft is expected in the third quarter of 2027. As the planned growth path for both Lufthansa Airlines, including Lufthansa City Airlines, and SWISS is already underpinned by aircraft orders, the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft will be deployed in one of the Lufthansa Group's other flight operations. The decision on this will be made at a later date. 

Airbus A320 family 

In addition to the firm orders, Lufthansa Group has secured a further 40 purchase options for aircraft from the A320 family. Around 450 aircraft of this model series are currently in service with Lufthansa Group airlines, making it well-established in the short- and medium-haul segment. 71 A320neo and A321neo aircraft that have already been ordered will be delivered in the next few years. With the agreed 40 purchase options, Lufthansa Group is now securing favorable conditions for future orders as part of the Airbus offer. 

New aircraft biggest lever for CO2 reduction 

With a current fleet of more than 700 commercial aircraft, the Lufthansa Group is pursuing a long-term fleet strategy focused on cost efficiency and reducing emissions. Compared to their predecessor models, the new additions to the Lufthansa Group fleet have up to 30 percent lower fuel consumption and correspondingly lower carbon emissions. The Lufthansa Group aims to halve its net carbon emissions by 2030 compared to 2019 in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. 

Around USD 9 billion at list price 

The aircraft orders agreed today, worth around USD 9 billion at list prices, are not expected to have a significant impact on the Group's capital expenditure in 2023 and 2024, the period covered by the current medium-term plan. Net investments of between EUR 2.5 billion and EUR 3 billion are expected in 2023. Capital expenditure in 2024 is expected to be at a similar level.