columba wrote:na wrote:columba wrote:They have just taken delivery of their 10th 777 why would they retire it early ? LH and Swiss are both known to get the best of their aircraft and use them for a long time.
Not every type - see the A346. When LH is receiving their first 779 in the early 2020s, the 77W suddenly has the role the A346 is in now, the more so as with the A350-1000 on top not just one, but two better planes have entered the 77W ballpark.
First they have retired some A346s not all. Also the A346 is not as popular as the the 77W and it becomes more expensive to maintain especially the Rolls Roye engines.
LH/LH Group has options to change their A350-900s into -1000s but so far has not done so. Swiss 77Ws fleet is relatively young and paid for (youngest only a few days old). They are good for another 10-15 years. With Austrian, LH Cargo, Aero Logic and Swiss the LH Group owns a sizeable fleet of 777s.
LH Group still operates A340-300 and 747-400s even with the 787, A350 and 777W around that have entered the ballpark years ago. Eurowings is getting A343 while competioners like Norwegian are flying the 787s...why ? Because they are already in the fleet, they are paid for and LH can make them work even if competitioners flying shiny new planes.....
Swiss has A340-300 with CFM engines. If I talk about the 777-300ER being an interim solution, I mean that, that fleet will most likely not expand.They were bought, because at the time of order, they were sold for a low price and fast available. Today there are several frames, that have a 15% or more advantage in fuel burn per seat over the 777-300ER. The 8% advantage that the 777-300ER has over the A340-600 killed that bird. When Swiss will have received the last ordered frame # 10, the whole 777 passenger fleet at the Lufthansa group amounts to 16 frames.
The Austrian 777-200ER are older, the oldest being over 20 years, than the current Swiss A340-300, have similar fuel burn, range and size. I would assume those being up for replacement next.
I would not count the cargo 777 with the passenger fleets, at LH the cargo fleets tend to be frames, that often have not been used for passenger transport at LH. Buying dedicated freighters is a different decision from buying passenger aircraft. Anyway does the Lufthansa group not to be afraid to have small purpose dedicated fleets.