Austrian Airlines to add two A320s in 2016 and one 777 in 2017/18

Austrian Airlines received (29-Sep-2016) approval from the Lufthansa supervisory board to add two A320s in 2016 and one Boeing 777 in summer 2017/18. The aircraft will be based in Vienna and represent an investment of more than EUR100 million. The investment serves as the basis for the first part of the airline's 'Next Level Austrian' strategy. The additional aircraft are expected to create more than 230 jobs in Vienna. The A320s will be leased from Lufthansa Group for approximately eight years and will primarily be used for services between Austria and Germany. The 777 will be leased from AerCap for about eight years and used for new routes, with destinations in Africa, America and Asia, "of particular interest." In the next phase of the programme, the airline will make a decision on the modernisation of its long haul fleet, with existing aircraft to begin reaching the end of their useful lives from 2020. [more - original PR]