Airbus has secured a deal with German airline Lufthansa, purchasing back six A380s at a price that is now publicly known. Initially, the price tag could have been higher.
In 2019, Lufthansa unveiled plans for a significant expansion of its fleet, announcing the acquisition of 20 Boeing 787 and 20 Airbus A350 aircraft. Alongside this, the airline group also revealed an agreement for «the sale of six of their 14 A380s back to Airbus.» According to the agreement, the planes were scheduled to depart from Lufthansa’s fleet in 2022 and 2023.
Industry insiders speculated that the sale of these six superjumbos was negotiated in conjunction with Lufthansa’s order for the A350s from Airbus. However, the agreed price remained confidential until recently.
According to Aerotelegraph, the details about the planned handover emerged in the 2021 Annual Report, which confirmed that the six A380s would be returned to Airbus between October 2022 and November 2023. It also stated that three aircraft would be handed over in each year. The price, however, remained undisclosed.
The 2022 annual report finally shed light on the pricing. It revealed that Lufthansa expects «financial inflows of €315 million» from the sale of these aircraft and their spare engines.
Uninsured Damage Lowers Expected Revenue
However, the anticipated revenue took a hit due to an unexpected event. Lufthansa reported that, due to storm damage not covered by insurance, the valuation for five decommissioned A380s intended for sale was reduced by €13 million. This brought the expected revenue from the sale down to €302 million.
With this sale, Lufthansa’s fleet of A380s will reduce to eight, six of which are confirmed to return to service, and two that are still under consideration. Of the six reactivated aircraft, one has already begun training flights, one is undergoing maintenance in Manila, and one is stationed in Frankfurt. The remaining superjumbos are parked at aircraft parks in Teruel, Spain, and Lourdes, France.
