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The Lufthansa Supervisory Board today approved the purchase of ten Airbus A330-300 jets. With this decision, Lufthansa is streamlining its medium-term fleet expansion and is also taking advantage of the current favourable market conditions for aircraft procurement.
The purchase has already been accounted for in the Lufthansa Group's capital expenditure budget. Lufthansa is also continuing to invest in one of Europe's most modern fleets that combines fuel efficiency and low emission values.
Delivery is scheduled from January 2004 to November 2005. Lufthansa is thus securing the aircraft capacity it requires to meet planned growth and the increase in traffic volume forecast for 2003. In contrast to its rivals, Lufthansa sees excellent medium-term growth prospects on long-haul routes in particular.
The A330 has outstanding operational and commercial features and bears many similarities to the A340 – an aircraft type of which Lufthansa currently has 34 in service. The A330 will therefore be readily integrated into the long-range fleet and prove an excellent addition. A decision on the engine manufacturer will not be taken before the end of this year at the earliest. |
