Carsten Spohr, CEO of Lufthansa (LHAG.DE), revealed at a business press club in Stuttgart that ongoing aircraft delivery issues are severely impacting the airline and are unlikely to be resolved before the end of the decade. The shortage, exacerbated by delays from both Airbus and Boeing, is estimated to cost Lufthansa approximately 500 million euros ($535 million) annually, although Spohr did not provide a precise figure.
Lufthansa has placed orders for 250 new aircraft from Airbus and Boeing to modernize its fleet, with deliveries scheduled from 2024 to 2029. However, Spohr lamented that none of these aircraft are arriving on schedule. Currently, about 100 out of Lufthansa’s 750 aircraft are grounded, either due to maintenance issues or because they have been decommissioned.
Airbus recently revised down its delivery forecast for this year to around 770 jets, down from an earlier estimate of around 800, citing challenges in parts availability. This adjustment reflects broader concerns among suppliers about Airbus’s production output. Meanwhile, Boeing has faced regulatory scrutiny and ongoing delays in aircraft deliveries, which originated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The combination of supply chain disruptions, parts shortages, and regulatory issues at both Airbus and Boeing has created a challenging environment for Lufthansa and other airlines relying on new aircraft to update their fleets and expand operations.
Source: Reuters