Lufthansa Group has announced that A320 operations are to expand with eco-efficient NEOs, and that Eurowings is to become new A320 operator.
Aviation company Lufthansa Group has announced that SWISS, a member-airline of the group, will expand its A320 fleet with an order for 15 A320neo aircraft, plus an additional 10 aircrafts to be confirmed at a later stage.
The NEO-fleet will gradually renew and replace SWISS’ existing fleet of A320 Family aircraft.
“Our decision to go with the cleanest, the most reliable and the most efficient belongs to the image of Switzerland, thus the A320neo was a natural fit with our modernisation strategy,” said Nico Buchholz, executive vice president of Lufthansa Group Fleet Management.
“We are delighted to welcome SWISS as a new customer for the A320neo and thank the Swiss Flag carrier for their continuous confidence in our products,” said John Leahy, Airbus chief operating officer of customers.
“For many years SWISS has successfully cashed in on all the economic and environmental benefits the A320 family offers. The A320neo will be the hero in many chapters of SWISS’ success story well into the future. We are happy that our NEO-offering will enable SWISS to operate their routes even more efficiently with significantly reduced CO2 and noise emissions.”
SWISS is the national airline of Switzerland and with A319s, A320s, A321s, A330s and A340s in its fleet the carrier will be able to take maximum benefit from the unique commonality across the Airbus family.
The A320neo incorporates many innovations, including latest generation engines and large ‘sharklet’ wing-tip devices, which together deliver 15% in fuel savings and a reduction of 3,600 tonnes of CO2 per aircraft per year.
With more than 3,250 orders received from 60 customers since its launch in 2010, the A320neo family has captured a solid 60% share of the market.
Lufthansa Group orders ten A320ceo aircraft for Eurowings
Buchholz and Leahy have also commented on Lufthansa Group’s approval of the purchase of 10 A320ceo aircraft for its subsidiary Eurowings. The new aircraft will become the backbone of the new low cost business model announced by the Lufthansa Group in July 2014, which foresees Eurowings operations on direct connections within Europe.
“By purchasing fuel-efficient A320 aircraft with the highest reliability standards, we offer our customers a comfortable, appealing and modern product in a highly competitive market environment,” said Buchholz. “These aircraft contribute significantly to reducing noise and emissions wherever they fly. This new order is the next logical step in our ongoing fleet modernisation strategy, in particular with regards to driving down fuel burn, operating costs, noise and emissions.”
The Lufthansa Group is Airbus’ biggest airline group operator with over 400 aircraft in operation and is also Airbus’ biggest airline customer with over 580 aircraft purchased, including today’s new order. Lufthansa Group runs one of the largest Airbus A320 Family fleet in the world, with almost 300 A320 Family aircraft currently in service. Eurowings has already operated Airbus A319s in the nineties and early 2000s.
