Lufthansa Group has allocated 40 new Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft to Eurowings.
The gradual integration of the short and medium-haul jets represents one of the largest fleet modernisations in European aviation.
Delivery of the first aircraft will be in 2027. The last of the 40 Boeing 737-8 MAXs will enter the Eurowings fleet in 2032.
The new aircraft will replace Eurowings’ Airbus A319 fleet and older Airbus A320 models. Compared with the aircraft currently flying, the Boeing 737-8 MAXs will consume 30% less kerosene and emit almost one-third less carbon dioxide.
With a capacity for 189 passengers, the Boeing 737-8 MAX offers 39 more seats that the Airbus A319. Its longer range makes it suited to flying to more distant medium-haul destinations.
The 40 aircraft represent a $5 billion (£4.05 bn) investment. It is being touted by Lufthansa Group as “by far the largest and most expensive sustainability project in the more than 30-year history of Eurowings”.
With the introduction of the new aircraft, Eurowings passengers can expect a redesigned cabin offering greater onboard comfort.
Eurowings is the market leader at airports including Cologne Bonn, Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Stuttgart.
“Eurowings has established itself as the European point-to-point airline of the Lufthansa Group with a convincing strategy and thanks to its outstanding employees in an extremely competitive market,” commented Carsten Spohr, Chief Executive Officer of the Lufthansa Group.
Jens Bischof, CEO of Eurowings, said: “With 40 state-of-the-art aircraft, we are laying the foundations for a successful Eurowings future that is geared towards ambitious sustainability goals. The largest investment in our company’s history shows that we are making rapid progress towards low-emission flying – through significantly lower fuel consumption, lower emissions and significantly less noise.”
