Lufthansa Group is to order 100 Airbus A320-family jets including 70 re-engined variants, as well as two Airbus A380s plus six Boeing 777-300ERs for its Swiss International Air Lines operation.

The group detailed its plans in a speech to be given by chief executive Christoph Franz, as the company unveiled its 2012 financial results.

Lufthansa will receive the A380s and 30 baseline A320s, while Swiss will take six 777s. The executive board has also "granted permission to conclude the ongoing negotiations" for 70 A320neo and A321neo aircraft.

In 2012 Lufthansa's group fleet decreased by nine aircraft, to 627, from the previous year but the company has deployed larger types to keep capacity stable.

The group is intending to introduce 34 new aircraft to the fleet this year, and had previously said it was preparing to order another 108.

"Ongoing modernisation of the fleet as well as strict capacity management were of great help in maintaining competitiveness last year," says Lufthansa Group.

This year the company intends to take delivery of five Boeing 747-8s, two 777 freighters and an Airbus A330, plus 22 A320-family aircraft and four Embraer regional jets.

These 34 aircraft will "replace older models", says Franz.

Over the course of last year the group accepted four 747-8s and two Airbus A380s, as well as six A330s, 20 A320-family jets and nine regional aircraft. But no new aircraft were ordered, although the supervisory board approved the lease of seven A320s for Austrian Airlines.

Franz says 236 new aircraft are "currently on our order list".

Lufthansa Group's annual report - which does not cover new latest fleet acquisition - details 133 aircraft on order up to 2018, of which 69 are A320-family types. The long-haul component comprises seven A380s and 15 747-8s, as well as five 777Fs and three A330s, while Lufthansa Group will also receive 30 Bombardier CSeries and four Embraer 190s.

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news