The Lufthansa Group is accelerating the modernization of its long-haul fleet. The Group signed leases for four state-of-the-art and fuel-efficient Airbus A350-900 aircraft with the lessors Avolon, SMBC Aviation Capital Ltd. and Goshawk. As a result, the Group's A350 fleet will grow to 21 aircraft at the beginning of 2022.

The Airbus’ A350-900 are scheduled to enter service with Lufthansa's core brand from the first half of 2022, strengthening the five-star airline's premium offering.

The twin-engine Airbus A350-900 aircraft consume only around 2.5 liters of kerosene per passenger per 100 kilometers flown. That is around 30 percent less than their predecessors, with a correspondingly positive impact on the carbon footprint. The aircraft will primarily replace four-engine long-haul aircraft from the Airbus A340 family. By the middle of the decade, the proportion of four-engine aircraft in the long-haul fleet as a whole is expected to fall to below 15 percent. Before the crisis, the share was around 50 percent.

Furthermore, the new, fuel-efficient aircraft will reduce operating costs by around 15 percent compared with the types they will replace.

As part of its comprehensive, long-term fleet modernization program, the Lufthansa Group will take delivery of a total of further 177 short-, medium- and long-haul aircraft this decade.