The German Air Force will receive two brand-new Airbus A321 LR. Lufthansa Technik will be responsible for fitting out the two planes for the Ministry of Defence's Aircraft Special Air Mission Wing. The A321 Neo aircraft with additional range are scheduled to arrive in Hamburg in August and October 2021 and will be equipped there for various missions, the Lufthansa subsidiary and the Bundeswehr announced on Wednesday (July, 8).
The two aircraft will be prepared for various missions such as troop transport and medical evacuations. The passenger transport capacity ranges from 136 to 163 passengers. It is also possible to transport up to six intensive care beds or up to twelve slightly or moderately ill or injured persons. Mixed configurations can also be set up.
Delivery in the first quarter of 2022
«The experience of recent years, and in particular the recent experience with the still ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, has shown the need for unrestricted national access to these capacities», writes the German Air Force. Delivery to the Air Force is planned for the first quarter of 2022.
The magazine Der Spiegel had reported in April that the Bundeswehr will receive two Airbus A321 Neo - from the contingent that Lufthansa has with Airbus. The aviation company has ordered 40 A321 Neo and has received five of them so far. In the Corona crisis, it is downsizing its fleet and postponing aircraft deliveries.
Not out of the Lufthansa order
In fact, the latest communication from the Bundeswehr states that a «contract for the delivery» of the two aircraft has been concluded with Lufthansa Technik. The Lufthansa subsidiary, however, speaks of a «contract for the equipment». A Lufthansa spokeswoman told aeroTELEGRAPH on Wednesday that the two aircraft would not come from the German airline's order with Airbus.
Nevertheless, the German Air Force could benefit from the fact that Lufthansa or another airline has postponed an order due to the Corona crisis, which would quickly free up production capacity. Answers from the Bundeswehr and Airbus to questions from aeroTELEGRAPH were still pending until the publication of this article.
