ANDREW DOYLE / CHICAGO
Lufthansa launched its third business class-only transatlantic service on 9 June using an Airbus A319 Long Range twinjet wet-leased from PrivatAir of Switzerland.
The six-times-weekly Düsseldorf-Chicago flight expands a year-old arrangement covering services between Düsseldorf and New York Newark, and follows the recent addition of a Munich-Newark service operated with a PrivatAir Boeing Business Jet.
PrivatAir is the launch customer for the A319LR, which incorporates four auxiliary fuel tanks in the cargo hold rather than the six tanks fitted as standard to the A319-based Airbus Corporate Jet.
The Geneva-based VIP operator is pushing the manufacturer to complete as soon as possible a service bulletin to modify the fuel tank layout to release more space for hold baggage.
Relocating the rearmost of the three tanks in the aft hold to the forward compartment would increase usable baggage volume from 3.5m3 (123ft3) to around 10.2m3, says PrivatAir vice-chairman David Hurley.
The current configuration means the CIT-owned A319LRs are sometimes unable to carry all of the hold baggage checked-in by a full load of 48 passengers.
The addition of the Chicago route and services from Munich mark the second phase of Lufthansa's experiment with business class-only services.
"Commercially this is still small scale," says Lufthansa vice-president alliances Carsten Spohr. "However, in my view this can never replace a hub strategy," he adds.
PrivatAir last year established a German subsidiary which has recently been awarded a German air operator's certificate and 120min extended range twin engine operations approval for A319LR operations.
The carrier also provides corporate shuttle flights for Airbus with a pair of A319s based in Hamburg. The next phase of expansion could see Lufthansa buying a stake in PrivatAir GmbH, but the two companies say they have yet to discuss the idea formally.
Source: Flight International
