Summary

  • Austrian Airlines’ CEO revealed that the airline is considering a switch to Boeing 737 MAX for its medium-haul fleet renewal.
  • There remains uncertainty around the allocation of the 40 737 MAX aircraft on order by the Lufthansa Group.
  • The aging A320 family fleet has prompted Austrian Airlines to seek a replacement aircraft which is currently the A320neo of which five are already in service.

Austrian Airlines’ CEO Annette Mann told both ch-aviation and Aviation Week that the carrier is searching for a replacement aircraft type for its Airbus A320 family fleet. The comments came at this month’s IATA General Assembly in Dubai, a meeting that brings together important industry stakeholders.

A possible switch to the 737 MAX

The latest comments come as the airline launched operations with its first Boeing 787-9 today as it attempts to renew its entire widebody fleet. With the long-haul side of things starting smoothly, the airline is looking to the future of its narrowbody fleet.

Rather than follow the obvious path and continue its ongoing shift to the A320neo, the airline is considering the possibility of the 737 MAX. The CEO told Aviation Week:

“By 2035, we will have to replace a considerable number of short-haul aircraft. One option is to use A320 orders from the Lufthansa Group, but there are also discussions about where to place the Lufthansa order for the Boeing 737 Max.”

Austrian Airlines A320neo in the hangar.

Photo: Austrian Airlines

Austrian Airlines has actually already received five A320neo aircraft as part of its medium-haul fleet renewal. It is not actively expecting anymore, awaiting no doubt a decision from the Lufthansa Group on future deliveries. The planes are listed below.

Registration

Delivery date

OE-LZR

December 2023

OE-LZP

June 2023

OE-LZQ

June 2023

OE-LZO

November 2022

OE-LZN

September 2022

Uncertainty surrounding 737 MAX allocation

Austrian Airlines is a member of the Lufthansa Group, which also owns Brussels Airlines and SWISS, to name a few. As such, everything depends on the fleet allocation decision for the group’s orders. As it stands, the group is expecting deliveries of 40 737 MAXs.

Note that back in May, the Eurowings boss had hinted at the possibility of the 737 MAX being entered into service there too, meaning Austrian Airlines becomes the second possibility on the table. Reflecting on 737 MAX allocation possibilities, Mann said:

Especially as Austrian has a high demand for narrowbody replacement, we could be one of those 737 MAX cases. Also Eurowings could be an example.”

Speaking to ch-aviation, Mann elaborated:

“We have to do a lot to renew our short-haul fleet since it’s not the newest. It will be very dependent on the Lufthansa Group’s decisions about who actually gets the B737 MAX because that’s not decided yet. For Austrian, there are two options: either, of course, rolling over with new A320neos or completely switching to B737s.”

The aging fleet of A320s

Austrian Airlines operates a fleet of 35 A320ceo family aircraft, divided as follows per ch-aviation data:

Number

Aircraft

Average age

29

A320-200

19.4 years

3

A321-100

28.5 years

3

A321-200

24.8 years

Thus, the airline’s narrowbody medium-haul fleet is fairly significant in size, and given their age, the need for a replacement is fast approaching. The above-mentioned aircraft feature 6348 seats in total in their current configurations, representing roughly 42% of the airline’s overall capacity offer.

More 787s?

Austrian Airlines’ first 787-9 took off on its inaugural commercial flight today, with a service from Vienna (VIE) to New York (JFK). The aircraft, registered OE-LPL, is the first of 11 new widebody jets the airline expects to receive over the coming years.

Rendering of the Austrian 787 flying in the sky

Photo: Austrian Airlines

In the same interviews at the IATA conference, the CEO revealed that the airline was considering growing its order for the Dreamliner by one, reaching 12 in total. A decision on that will be reached later this year. A 13th example is unrealistic, given weak returns, the Austrian boss told Aviation Week.

“With a margin far below our 2024 target of 5.5%, it will not be realistic anymore to have a thirteenth 787-9. Normally an 8% margin would be ideal for sustainable future investments.”

Related

Austrian Airlines Welcomes First Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner To Vienna

The inaugural flight is scheduled for Friday.

Do you think the 737 MAX would be a good fit for Austrian Airlines? Let us know in the comments below.


  • Austrian Airlines Tile

    Austrian Airlines

    IATA/ICAO Code:
    OS/AUA

    Airline Type:
    Full Service Carrier

    Hub(s):
    Vienna International Airport

    Year Founded:
    1957

    Alliance:
    Star Alliance

    Airline Group:
    Lufthansa Group

    CEO:
    Annette Mann

    Country:
    Austria

    Region:
    Europe

    Loyalty Program:
    Miles & More

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