Andrzej Jeziorski/MUNICH
Lufthansa has cleared plans for $2.3 billion of new aircraft orders for the airline and its regional and freight subsidiaries.
A total of 42 new aircraft is to be ordered for delivery from 2000. The airline says that this order is in line with anticipated traffic increases in the next century, adding that the new aircraft will increase passenger capacity in 2000 and 2001 by 5% a year.
The orders include 10 additional Airbus A340-300s and six A321-200s for short and medium-haul European routes. Lufthansa thus remains Airbus Industrie's biggest airline customer.
Regional carrier Lufthansa CityLine has placed an order for 10 more 50-seat Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ)-100 regional jets and 10 stretched 68-seat CRJ-700s, plus 10 options, raising questions about its commitment to the Fairchild Dornier 728JET family, covering the 55/90-seat range. Lufthansa is playing down the significance of this order, saying that it needs the CRJ-700 as a stopgap, to cover busier regional jet routes until Fairchild Dornier's 70-seat 728JET becomes available at the end of 2001.
The airline has placed a conditional launch order for 60 728JETs with 60 options, to be confirmed by the end of the year provided that CityLine is satisfied that Fairchild Dornier can meet its technical needs and delivery schedule requirements.
Fairchild Dornier says that it has known for four months that Lufthansa was planning to place the order and has been assured that this does not change Lufthansa's position on the 728JET family. With Bombardier having announced its own rival 80/110-seat jet at this month's Farnborough air show, the CRJ-700 deal could provide leverage to ensure that CityLine's allegiance is retained in the long term.
Lufthansa Cargo has converted its six remaining Boeing MD-11 freighter options, to cover both market growth and the loss of capacity once Lufthansa's Boeing 747-400 combis are converted to passenger-only aircraft. The order, mooted since Boeing announced plans in June to terminate MD-11 production in 2000, is likely to be the last for the type and takes total MD-11 orders to exactly 200.
Source: Flight International
