Lufthansa joins 777X freighter talks

Lufthansa (LH, Frankfurt Int’l) has confirmed it is in talks with Boeing concerning the as-yet unconfirmed B777X freighter, fueling speculation that the manufacturer will offer its newest widebody in a dedicated freighter variant.

“We were negotiating this morning, but there is a lot more negotiations to be done,” Chief Executive Carsten Spohr told Reuters.

The German carrier has firm orders for twenty B777-9s, which are slated for entry into service in late 2023. Spohr confirmed that Lufthansa would be the type’s global launch operator. By revealing it is in discussions about the freighter variant, Lufthansa joined another early B777X customer, Qatar Airways, in expressing interest in the proposal. The latter’s chief executive officer, Akbar al Baker, confirmed that the airline had received an “attractive offer” for the variant from Boeing.

Lufthansa’s freighter fleet currently comprises eleven B777-200Fs operated by Lufthansa Cargo (LH, Frankfurt Int’l). The German holding is also a 50% shareholder in AeroLogic (3S, Leipzig/Halle) which operates a further twenty B777-200Fs. Neither Lufthansa Cargo, nor any other Lufthansa Group subsidiary, operates converted freighters as yet, although Lufthansa CityLine is in the process of converting two A321-200s which will operate for Lufthansa Cargo.