• 

  Lufthansa

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  LH/DLH

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Frankfurt Airport, Munich Airport

  Year Founded:

  1953

  Alliance:

  Star Alliance

  Airline Group:

  Lufthansa Group

  CEO:

  Carsten Spohr

  Country:

  Germany

With B777X production on hold for a year and B787's undeliverable, Boeing got a welcome boost from loyal, perhaps optimistic customer Lufthansa this week.

On May 9, Boeing announced that Lufthansa Group had placed an order for seven Boeing B787-9s. The German carrier already has 25 B787s on order, with the first 20 ordered more than three years ago.

The new order included seven Boeing B777-8 Freighters, a new aircraft that Boeing launched in January. To add capacity in the near term, Lufthansa also ordered two B777F Freighters.

Lufthansa is also a launch customer for the Boeing B777X with an order for 20 aircraft.

Boeing SVP of commercial sales and marketing Ihssane Mounir said Lufthansa's investment in the B777 and B787 will give it the most advanced, fuel-efficient twin-engine airplanes in the industry.

"Each of these airplanes reduces emissions by 15% to 25% compared to previous models with a noise footprint up to 50% smaller than their predecessors, helping to advance the Lufthansa Group's sustainability objectives."

Lufthansa is supporting both Boeing and Airbus

With Boeing mired in problems on both the B777X and the B787, it must be heartened by Lufthansa's show of confidence. It is reminiscent of IAG's order for 200 Boeing 737 MAX at the 2019 Paris Air Show when the planemaker was in a much deeper hole.

According to ch-aviation.com, Lufthansa has four Airbus widebody types. The A330, A340, A350, and the A380, although all 14 A380s are inactive.

Showing its support to both OEMs, it has 30 Airbus A350-900s on order, with 19 already in its fleet of 306 aircraft.

It also has 199 Airbus A320 family aircraft, including 30 A320neo and 14 A321neo. Lufthansa has ordered another 39 A320neo and 21 A321neo.

The airline's single-aisle needs appear to be the preserve of Airbus, but it has shown a willingness to operate a mixed fleet of widebodies.

When will Lufthansa fly its Boeing 787s?

The commercial airline industry wants and needs both Boeing and Airbus to succeed. Without that healthy competition, game-changing aircraft like the Airbus A350 and A320neo and the Boeing 737 MAX and B787 would not be developed.

And that's not good for passengers, airlines, aerospace supply chains, or the environment.

Lufthansa's B787 order comes soon after Emirates President Sir Tim Clark cast doubt on the airline's order for 30 B787s. He said that he wouldn't be surprised if the airlines dropped the 787s out of the mix completely.

At the end of March, Boeing had 481 unfilled orders for B787s, two-thirds of which were for B787-9 aircraft. It also has more than 100 completed 787s in inventory, awaiting rework and delivery.

Boeing has submitted its rectification plans to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and continues with 'fixes' while waiting for the regulator's response.

The first Lufthansa 787-9 has emerged from Boeing's South Carolina, US, factory, although when it will be delivered is up to the FAA. Boeing has lost the right to self-certify the B787, and, with the FAA heavily criticized over the B737 MAX certification, it may not get that back anytime soon.

The first B787 was delivered to Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) a decade ago. Today ANA has 77 787s in its fleet, with a further 21 on order.

It seems a little incongruous that B787s built to the same specifications as those operating today are now undeliverable.

What do people flying on 787s think of that?

UPDATE: 2022/05/12 20:05 EST BY MICHAEL DORAN

Adding comment from Boeing

"We are conducting inspections and rework as needed on undelivered 787s to ensure they meet our exacting specifications for design and manufacturing. None of the issues we are currently addressing has an immediate impact on flight safety or affects the in-service fleet."

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