DLufthansa’s turnaround is remarkable and shows how unpredictable external circumstances have become. Over the past few months, the airline’s management has repeatedly confirmed that the large Airbus A380 has irrevocably left the fleet. In September 2021, the Technik und Motor editorial team even underwent the necessary training in Frankfurt before the last flight and, together with Lufthansa employees, said goodbye to the world plane, which was not exactly the more beautiful, but was perhaps the most pleasant for the passengers. Unprofitable, inefficient, quad radiators should be retired anyway, these are arguments that weren’t fabricated out of thin air.
Now, out of the blue, CEO Carsten Spohr is offering the return of the A380, which not only sparks fan fantasies but also the stock price. We learn: Unprofitable and inefficient are relative. Apparently, many bookings encounter a few jumbo jets, after all Lufthansa, in its distress these days, is even commissioning several young second-hand long-haul jets of Asian origin. How long the A380 can then stay is another question. There are more modern planes. And a countermove. Airbus announces the first test flight of its A321XLR, a short- and medium-range jet aircraft which, thanks to technical improvements, has become a long-haul aircraft that can be used from Frankfurt to Calgary, for example. Basically with a cabin layout like in the Mallorca shuttle. The concept has been well received, 500 orders have been received and regular service is planned for 2024. Despite all the enthusiasm for the technical realization. We would know where we would prefer to go on long-haul routes.
#returns #change #flight #plan