Lufthansa is bolstering its long-haul fleet with new orders, but also the leasing of used aircraft. Among them may be four Airbus A350-900s that flew for LATAM.
Planespotters linked jets MSN 35, 45, 79 and 363 to the German carrier. They had been received by LATAM Brasil in 2016, but ended up being withdrawn from service in 2021 after the airline decided to operate only Boeing models.
As of the second half of 2021, the four A350-900s have been stored in Victorville, California, and are owned by the Bank of Utah and also by the Wilmington Trust Company.
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Two other A350s that flew for South African Airways are also associated with Lufthansa, the serial numbers 226 and 245. Interestingly, both had originally been manufactured for LATAM, but were eventually received by Hainan Airlines.
They are currently owned by the lessor Avolon which maintains them at Teruel Airport in Spain.
A350-1000
The possible return to service of the six A350s proves how booming the long-haul market is. Lufthansa had to review the retirement plans for the A380 and A340 to cope with passenger demand.
In addition, the airline announced new orders for 787 Dreamliner and A350 jets, including the higher capacity A350-1000 variant.
It is not clear whether Lufthansa intends to reconfigure the cabins of the second-hand A350s as they have 339 seats in two classes.
