by Lufthansa Flyer | Dec 13, 2015 | Fleet Update, Lufthansa |
Late last week, details began to emerge from Airbus that Lufthansa, not Qatar, would become the launch operator for the much-anticipated A320neo (New Engine Option). The anticipation for the ‘neo’ revolves around the fact that it is expected to be 15% more efficient than its predecessor due to the new engines developed for the aircraft.
The reason that led to Qatar no longer being the launch customer had to do with the final tweaks to the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines that are being used as one of the power plant options for the ‘neo’. Qatar had raised concerns that a few minor software and hardware modifications would potentially create operational restrictions until the issues were resolved.
Lufthansa however was comfortable with the work that needed to be done in order to confidently put the A320neo into service so it now becomes the launch customer for the new model. The modifications are performance-enhancing and do not create safety concerns.
The latest information from LH suggests that the delivery of their first ‘neo’ will take place on December 22 and it will enter service on January 6 when it flies from Frankfurt to Hamburg.
LH has 116 ‘neos’ on order of which 61 will fly for Lufthansa mainline while the remaining will be distributed among other LH Group carriers.
by Lufthansa Flyer | Nov 27, 2015 | Cargo, Featured, Fleet Update, Lufthansa, Plane Spotting |
Lufthansa Cargo yesterday unveiled one of their MD-11s with a fresh new livery celebrating the good work that LH Cargo does with ‘Cargo Human Care’.
For those of you unfamiliar with Cargo Human Care (CHC), it is an organization almost exclusively comprised of Lufthansa Cargo employees (past and present) who volunteer their time and efforts to help a variety of organizations in and around Nairobi, Kenya.
The organization coordinates with Doctors, Surgeons and other medical professionals to bring them to Kenya on regular rotations so that they can provide medical care to those in need. These volunteers fly aboard LH Cargo flights to Nairobi, along with supplies and materials that are needed for various projects.
One of their most important efforts is the help they bring the the Mothers Mercy Home in Kianjogu, Kenya. The home provides shelter and care for approximately 120 orphaned children. Along side the home is the Cargo Human Care Medical Center which provides free medical treatments to members of the local community. Last year, CHC treated over 22,000 people at their clinic!
In the coming weeks, I’ll share more about CHC and the good deeds that they bring to those in need, including some of the great accomplishments that CHC has achieved. In the mean time, if you’d like to learn more about CHC, please visit their website.
Now back to the livery……
LH Cargo took one of the MD11s and dressed it up in a CHC theme and unveiled it in Frankfurt. As you’ll see below, the MD11 (D-ALCH) is adorned in children’s footprints symbolizing CHC’s ‘Step by step. Giving children a future’ slogan. I can’t think of many better ways to bring awareness to such a great organization and cause!
Some of the kids helped by CHC add their personal touch to the new livery.
D-ALCH arriving in Nairobi, courtesy of Lufthansa Cargo
Arrival at the ramp in Nairobi, courtesy of Lufthansa Cargo
Here are a couple of ‘unofficial’ photos showing the aircraft in the hangar shortly after having the new livery added…..
by Lufthansa Flyer | Oct 25, 2015 | Austrian, Featured, Fleet Update |
Austrian’s first ERJ is set to arrive in Vienna later this week after spending the last few weeks at Austrian Technik’s satellite in Bratislava (BTS). The ERJ195 was painted in BTS and will now take a 5 minute flight from BTS to Vienna on October 31.
Austrian’s ERJ195
After arriving in VIE, the aircraft will undergo additional cabin renovations and will be used for pilot and cabin crew training before entering service in January. OE-LWD, as she is registered, will also be christened on November 13 in Vienna and will be given her ‘nickname’.
16 additional ERJ195 aircraft will join the OS fleet as they are transferred away from Lufthansa’s Cityline fleet. All of them will sport the ‘myAustrian’ livery as well.
The transfer of all the new ERJs should be complete by early 2017 and they will replace the Fokker aircraft currently in the OS fleet.
Perhaps I’ll have a chance to stop by the BTS facility in November and take a look at the next ERJ as it is being prepared……
