Lufthansa A350 and 787 order driven by Frankfurt constraints

Constraints at Lufthansa's Frankfurt hub were behind its order for 40 Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s earlier this month, says group CE Carsten Spohr. Flight operations from Frankfurt are limited due to noise restrictions to appease neighbouring residents and costs are high compared to other European hubs, said Spohr on Frankfurt. "Frankfurt, we believe, has reached its limit of growth," he says, also citing customer satisfaction behind the decision to shift growth away from Frankfurt. The A350-900s and 787-9s, which Lufthansa ordered earlier in March, will begin delivering in 2022 and support growth from the group's hubs in Munich, Zurich and Vienna. Lufthansa will operate the Munich services, Swiss Zurich flights and Austrian Airlines Vienna service, he says. <br/>