Completion at Lufthansa Technik
First A350 for the German government is taking shape
Next year, German Chancellor Angela Merkel will receive the first of the new government aircraft. Lufthansa Technik reveals some details on the interior of the Airbus A350-900.
Airbus A350: Angela Merkel will get on next year.
Airbus A350: Angela Merkel will get on next year.
The German government has ordered three Airbus A350s from Airbus. It has budgeted 640 million euros for the purchase of the aircraft. This does not include the special equipment for the new jets on which Chancellor Angela Merkel and other politicians plus delegations will fly around the world in the future.
The Ministry of Finance in Berlin has budgeted 288 million euros for the cabin equipment. Lufthansa Technik is responsible for the installation. The completion of the cabin of the first government A350 is planned for 2020, the company announces. In Hamburg, everything is currently being prepared for the works on the interior. The first aircraft will arrive in April 2020 and work will begin.
First Government A350
It is the first A350 to be equipped for a head of state, according to Lufthansa Technik. The interior of the aircraft will be designed exactly according to the wishes of the government. This includes a work area with offices and a large conference room. The rest of the cabin of the A350-900 will be available for the accompanying delegation.
It will be equipped with comfortable and modern seats. A «generous number» of bathrooms will also be available. The galley will be equipped to accommodate up to 150 passengers. Not only the cabin of the new government jet will have special features. For example, the government is investing 229 million euros in the installation of a missile defence system in addition to spare parts.
New planes for the first time
The German government decided to buy the new aircraft after the two older Airbus A340s had repeatedly suffered breakdowns, some of which made it more difficult for the Chancellor and ministers to travel abroad. It is a novelty that the special unit of German Air Force responsible for the transport of the head of state buys new planes. Previously, it had relied on used Lufthansa aircraft for the large aircraft, which were extensively rebuilt.