Lufthansa Group believes it has already factored in the impact of aircraft delivery delays this year after scaling back its capacity growth aspirations.
The airline group’s passenger capacity had averaged almost 84% of pre-pandemic levels last year and Lufthansa – helped by the planned delivery of more than 30 aircraft during the course of 2024 – was aiming to bring full-year available seat kilometres (ASKs) up to 94% of 2019 levels.
However, the airline had already this month flagged that aircraft delivery delays and the need to ensure operational stability meant it would not be able to lift capacity as quickly as planned this summer and on 30 April said capacity will only reach 92% of 2019 levels.
The lower guidance in part reflects later deliveries of Boeing 787s.
Speaking during a first-quarter results call, Lufthansa Group’s outgoing chief financial officer Remco Steenbergen said: “With the reduction of the capacity [guidance] from 94% to 92%, we assume a lower level of Dreamliners to come in, so about half of the 15 we originally had planned.
”In the original planning the 15 [787s] were always phased in the second half of the year. These remaining seven would come in the fourth quarter. If they wouldn’t come at all, it would have a bit of an impact still on the 92%, but not a material number overall. So therefore if there are further delays we don’t expect any further impact for this year.”
The group is also due to take eight Airbus A350s and eight A320neos this year.
”On the Airbus A350, as it currently stands, we expect one a month – eight in total – between now and the end of the year. So that is on track,” he says. “The A320s are also still coming this year, they are planned mostly mid this year. It is delayed from the original planning, but we don’t see much risk remaining here.
”So therefore capacity growth and new planes, is within an acceptable range as it currently stands – notwithstanding the fact that all these delays have an impact on the efficiency because the training and hiring of crews starts much earlier.”
