Andrew Doyle/MUNICH
German charter carrier LTU International Airways is acquiring 12 Airbus A320s in the first stage of a fleet restructuring that will lead to the selection of a new widebody type to replace its Boeing 767-300ERs.
The company, 49.9%-owned by the SAirGroup, is also considering concluding a sale and leaseback deal on its owned fleet of 27 aircraft, which comprises six 767s, 15 757-200s (including three operated by Spanish sister airline LTE) and six A330-300s (above).
The A320s will be introduced between next March and December 2001 and are being sourced through Airbus. "The way it will be finalised is still under negotiation but they will probably be a mixture of leased and directly-purchased aircraft," says the manufacturer. LTU confirms that the aircraft will be powered by CFM International CFM56 engines and configured to seat 174 passengers.
The Airbuses will partly replace six Boeing 737-700s on lease from Germania since this summer and also to open new markets. "We need smaller aircraft for expanding into [German] regional airports such as Münster, Osnabrück and Paderborn," says LTU. "We don't want to start in new markets with widebodies."
The carrier says the A320 was selected over the Next Generation 737 mainly because of the former's cockpit commonality with its existing A330-300 fleet. "For our market needs, the A320 is the better aircraft," it says. A decision on replacing the 767s will be taken next year, and is likely to result in a lease deal involving at least six A330-200s or 767-400ERs. LTU is unable to confirm when the new aircraft would be introduced.
SAirGroup has said that the 767-300ER would form the backbone of the long-haul fleets of European Leisure Group carriers, including LTU. LTU hopes to finalise the sale and leaseback deal for the rest of its fleet by the end of this year. It will not specify possible buyers, but SAir Group subsidiary Flightlease is seen as a leading candidate, given its Swiss parent company's holding in the German airline.
Under current planning, LTU will operate a fleet of 34 aircraft by the end of 2001, following the introduction of the 12 A320s and the removal of five 757-200s and the leased 737s. The LTE operations are being integrated with those of its German sister.
Source: Flight International
