Lufthansa
is one of Europe’s largest airlines, and perhaps unsurprisingly, the largest airline in the Lufthansa Group. Through its hubs at 
Frankfurt Airport
and Munich Airport
, Lufthansa carries millions of passengers across the world. The airline boasts a fleet of 318 aircraft, according to planespotters.net, and deploys a variety of both narrowbody and widebody jets across Europe and beyond.
Photo: Tamme Wichmann | Shutterstock
However, the airline is currently encountering delivery delays from American aircraft manufacturer 
Boeing
. Lufthansa is waiting for more deliveries of one of Boeing’s newest widebody aircraft, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Given Lufthansa’s average fleet age of over 14 years, the airline is eager to modernize its operations with more fuel-efficient and passenger-friendly aircraft. However, as it awaits deliveries from Boeing, it has been forced to deploy newer Airbus jets to its Frankfurt hub.
Lack of aircraft in Frankfurt
Lufthansa is a big customer of Boeing, despite its large fleet of Airbus jets. The airline currently operates the Boeing 747-400, 747-8 Intercontinental, and 787-9. Boeing has been encountering serious production delay issues as it still struggles with the impact of quality control issues and financial headwinds. As a result, according to airliners.de, Lufthansa has not received the Dreamliners it expected to by now.
Photo: Kevin Hackert | Shutterstock
However, Boeing is not entirely to blame for the aircraft shortage. Lufthansa is currently rolling out updated aircraft cabins on new jets. This new look, named Allegris, is designed to maintain a competitive premium product through the addition of new first class seats (on select A350s) and business class seats. However, the new Allegris seats have not yet been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration. As a result, 15 Dreamliners are ready for delivery at Boeing’s South Carolina plant. However, they cannot yet be delivered.
This is a serious cost for Lufthansa, and one the airline is working to mitigate. A spokesperson for the airline explained:
“We are working with Boeing to check whether we can get at least a few Boeing 787s with some rows of seats blocked into scheduled service by the summer.”
By doing this, Lufthansa will have to block the uncertified business class seats, and the airline would not fly these aircraft on long-haul routes where premium cabins are most important. Instead, the Dreamliners would be flown on medium-haul routes, helping to relieve A320neo capacity constraints as the airline replaces engines on some of the short-haul aircraft.
Related
Lufthansa Adds Airbus A380 Flights To Denver International
It will be the 10th US airport with A380 flights this summer.
Other fleet issues in Frankfurt
While the airline is encountering delays with the 787, less immediate issues with Boeing are also plaguing the airline. The German carrier is still awaiting the certification of Boeing’s 777x program. The next generation 777 variant, which has been delayed for several years, was supposed to replace some of Lufthansa’s largest aircraft. However, the delays from this program have forced it to continue to operate Boeing 747-400s and Airbus A340-600s for longer than planned. Until Lufthansa can start receiving the new Boeing jets, it will have to rely on older, less efficient alternatives to maintain its flying schedule.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace I Simple Flying
In addition to worse fuel efficiency and often dated cabins, another major and costly issue comes with holding on to older jets for longer: maintenance. Lufthansa’s aging fleet is very maintenance intensive-so much so, that one in five of its long-haul aircraft in Frankfurt are grounded. The delays and intensive maintenance visits are taking a serious toll on Lufthansa and its flight schedule. The airline has been forced to continuously cancel select flights and rebook passengers on alternative itineraries.
To fight the aircraft shortage, the carrier is flying in more support from its other hub in Munich. Six Airbus A350s will be flown to Frankfurt to support the airline’s flight schedule, though these aircraft will not feature the new Allegris cabin. This strategic decision will allow Lufthansa to improve its reliability without waiting for new aircraft deliveries.
Photo: Joe Kunzler | Simple Flying
With the busy summer season fast approaching, Lufthansa will be forced to confront some difficult challenges to maintain its flight schedule. Its Frankfurt deployment of A350s is just one step the airline is taking to ensure reliable operations for passengers.
