Lufthansa received the 600th Airbus aircraft in its history. The delivery ceremony for the aircraft, an A321neo, took place at the manufacturer’s facility at Hamburg-Finkenwerder Airport (XFW).
See also: Tire Kicking: Airbus Buys Six A380s from Lufthansa, Storm Damage Adjusts €300M Deal
Lufthansa takes delivery of its 600th Airbus aircraft
The aircraft, which was registered as D-AIEQ, received a special commemorative livery. It was named «Münster» in honour of the western German city.
«Lufthansa and Airbus are united by a very special partnership», commented Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Lufthansa Group Executive Board. «Ever since Airbus’s creation, we have enjoyed close and trusting collaborations on a wide range of research projects and new developments», he added.
On the other hand, Spohr appreciated that «Lufthansa has also served no fewer than four times as Airbus’s launching customer for a new aircraft type, most recently for the A320neo family that is proving such a success».
«No other airline group has received more of our aircraft to date», said Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO. He thanked the airline for its confidence in its products and concluded: «We look forward to the next 50 years of our partnership and our shared commitment to the goal of sustainable air travel».
The relationship between Airbus and Lufthansa
The relationship between the two companies is now 47 years old. On 9 February 1976, the airline took delivery of its first aircraft produced by the manufacturer, an A300B2. Since then, it has operated more than ten different types.
In 1983, delivery of the first A310 was completed, while the first A300-600 was delivered in 1987. At the end of that decade, Lufthansa received its first A320, a type that would become a key part of its short- and medium-haul fleet. Today, more than 370 A320 family aircraft are in service with the group’s various airlines.
Delivery of the first A340 was completed in 1993. Two more widebodies were added in this century: the A330 from 2004 and the A380 from 2010. Recently, Lufthansa reactivated the «Super Jumbo» on its intercontinental services.
In early 2016, the German carrier became the launch customer for the A320neo family.
