OREANDA-NEWS.    Stopover is part of Airbus’ official approval process • Lufthansa and Airbus put on-board and ground procedures through their paces • Economical and quieter: Airbus A350-900 will be delivered to Lufthansa from 2016

Today, for the first time, and planned for 7 p.m., the new Airbus A350-900 will visit the largest Lufthansa hub in Frankfurt. The visit is part of Airbus’ official approval procedure that the machine, arriving in Frankfurt from Iqaluit in Canada and bearing the production number MSN005, is involved in.

During this phase known as route proving, Lufthansa and Airbus will test all relevant processes and procedures with their system partners in order to make sustainable optimisations to the entire process chain, from arrival and handling through to departure. The focus here is on adjusting all the workflows to Lufthansa standards. On Saturday, 26 July, the aircraft will then leave Frankfurt for Toulouse. Departure is expected to take place at 2 p.m.

The A350-900, which will be delivered to Lufthansa from 2016, opens up a whole new dimension of aircraft for Lufthansa: the airframe consists of 53 per cent composite materials that are combined with titanium and advanced aluminium alloys. The proportion of modern materials used in its structure is therefore more than 70 per cent. The fuselage, based on lighter carbon-fibre composite materials (CFRP), contributes greatly to the lower fuel consumption. Robust systems with the latest technology also help to reduce MRO costs.

‘Greater fuel efficiency, lower CO2 emissions and less noise: there’s a lot to be said for the A350-900, of which we will receive 25. With this, we are taking another step towards an efficient and modern fleet’, said Kay Kratky, member of the Lufthansa German Airlines Board – Operations and Hub Frankfurt, of the expected landing of the aircraft in Frankfurt. ‘As the quiet A350-900s will be delivered to Lufthansa from as early as 2016, this is also good news for those living in close proximity to airports’, Kratky continued.

The state-of-the-art Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines and an aerodynamic design reduce emissions to well below current statutory limits. The noise footprint of the new models will be at least 30 per cent lower than similar-sized aircraft today.

The Airbus A350-900 will fly more efficiently than any other type of aircraft, based on kerosene consumption per passenger and 100 kilometres. The new aircraft will consume an average of just 2.9 litres of kerosene per passenger and 100 kilometres flown, depending on the cabin design. This is around 25 per cent less than aircraft available today and will have an equally positive impact on the Company’s carbon footprint.

Good news for Lufthansa passengers: customer comfort will be noticeably improved. The A350-900 stands out for its particularly quiet and comfortable cabin, which is made possible by new insulation methods and materials, as well as the cabin design.

This investment in new technology, efficiency and customer comfort is a continuation of the ongoing fleet modernisation at the airlines in the Lufthansa Group. Following the aircraft orders already placed in March and September of last year, the Group currently has a total of 261 brand-new aircraft on order with a list value of EUR 32bn. These are to be delivered by 2025, including the 25 Airbus A350-900s with a list value of EUR 5bn.