Tomorrow will mark four years since Lufthansa’s first-ever Airbus A350 arrived at the airline. The widebody is a favorite among many major operators across the globe, and the flag carrier of Germany recognizes its capabilities.
An exciting moment
On December 21st, 2016, registration D-AIXA was delivered at Lufthansa’s facilities. This A350-900 holds Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN) 074 and goes by the nickname of Nürnberg. It was the first of 25 units that the airline had on order.
Lufthansa was excited to deploy their first arrivals on long-haul routes from Munich to the likes of Delhi and Boston. It noted the A350 XWB’s comfortable three-class cabin configuration with 48 seats in business class, 21 seats in premium economy, and 224 seats in economy. It looked forward to providing its customers with a high-quality experience while performing efficient operations.
Taking on the challenges
According to Planespotters.net, Lufthansa currently holds 17 A350-900s within its fleet. Six of these units are parked, including the most recent arrivals, which joined in February and October of this year.
The type will nonetheless continue to hold importance for the airline following the impact of the global health crisis. The plane’s efficiency is helping it rise above the pecking order on several widebody routes. For instance, in October, Lufthansa shared that it will base four of its Airbus A350-900s at its Frankfurt base this winter. The type is filling in on selected routes that would usually be handled by Boeing 747-8s and Airbus A340-300s.
“The A350-900 not only offers Lufthansa customers a top product on board, it is also extremely environmentally friendly, efficient and quiet. Compared to a Boeing 747-8, the Airbus A350-900 consumes around 12 percent less fuel and emits less CO2. At the same time by operating the A350-900 in Frankfurt, the fleet will be optimally used in an efficient and sustainable way under the current circumstances,” Lufthansa said a press release seen by Simple Flying.
“Lufthansa’s A350-900 fleet currently encompasses 16 Munich- based aircraft. Due to the sharp reduction in the number of flights offered as a result of the corona pandemic, only seven A350-900s will initially be operated at Munich in the winter timetable of 20/21 on routes to North America and Asia.”
A valued member of the fleet
Altogether, Lufthansa is proud of its A350s. The carrier deploys the aircraft on several of its key routes. Moreover, the company shows it off at special events such as the operator’s unique Oktoberfest flights to New York and its final flight to Berlin Tegel. The plane will undoubtedly be a mainstay going forward.
What are your thoughts about Lufthansa’s Airbus A350 aircraft? How has your experience been when flying on the type since its introduction? Let us know what you think of the plane in the comment section.