Austrian Airlines to expand fleet, launch premium economy class

Austrian Airlines will add 2 more Airbus A320s to its fleet this year and 1 additional Boeing 777-200ER from summer 2018, representing an investment value of more than E100m (US$112m). As a result, more than 230 jobs will be created at the carrier’s Vienna hub. “The conclusion of the collective bargaining agreement for the flight crew and positive signals from political decision-makers with respect to Vienna as a flight hub ensure a good investment climate,” Austrian Airlines CE Kay Kratky said. The A320s were leased from Lufthansa Group for approximately 8 years, representing an investment value of E50m, including conversion costs. The two aircraft will be deployed on Innsbruck-Frankfurt, Salzburg-Frankfurt, Graz-Frankfurt and Vienna-Munich routes. Austrian currently operates 7 Airbus A319s, 16 A320s and 6 A321s. <br/>