Airbus Updates No.3971

Lufthansa acquires second hand Airbus A350s

Last month, Lufthansa ordered additional new widebodies with Boeing and Airbus but the Group clearly has a hunger for more as it now acquired second hand A350-900s as well. In total, the airline has secured six A350-900s, which were previously operated by LATAM and South African Airways. The aircraft involved are:

• N285BN (035), former LATAM, currently stored at Victorville (CA) since 19 August 2021.
• N286BN (045), former LATAM, currently stored at Victorville (CA) since 26 October 2021.
• N287BN (079), former LATAM, currently stored at Victorville (CA) since 21 July 2021.
• N264AR (363), former LATAM, currently stored at Victorville (CA) since 25 June 2021.
• OE-IPK (226), former South African Airways, currently stored at Teruel since 15 July 2020.
• OE-IPX (245), former South African Airways, currently stored at Teruel since 11 July 2020.

When the six A350s will join the fleet is unclear but it's expected they will do so after an extensive refitting to the Lufthansa cabin lay-out.

It's not the first time Lufthansa secures second-hand A350s, as the airline has previously sourced four A350-900s from Philippine Airlines.

Today, Lufthansa has 21 A350-900s and a further 33 new on order with Airbus, making them one of the largest operators and customers for the type.