Aircraft delivery delays having ‘brutal’ impact on Lufthansa: CEO

AIRCRAFT delivery issues are having a “brutal” impact on Lufthansa and will not be resolved before the end of the decade, according to CEO Carsten Spohr.

Speaking at the business press club in Stuttgart late Thursday (Jun 27), Spohr said the aircraft shortage could be costing Lufthansa some 500 million euros (S$726.2 million) a year, although he did not provide an exact figure.

Lufthansa has ordered 250 new aircraft from Airbus and Boeing to modernise its fleet, with deliveries scheduled between 2024 and 2029.

However, “no plane arrives on time”, said Spohr, adding that around 100 of Lufthansa’s 750 aircraft were grounded either for maintenance reasons or because they had been decommissioned.

Earlier this week, Airbus lowered its forecast for deliveries this year to around 770 jets from around 800. The announcement came amid growing scepticism among suppliers over its jet output as Airbus grapples with parts shortages.

Meanwhile, a series of incidents at Boeing have increased regulatory scrutiny of the US manufacturer, adding to delays in deliveries that originated during the pandemic.