Lufthansa Group has announced that it has signed agreements for additional Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 aircraft. The first 787 planes are set to be delivered this year. The German airline group’s management confirmed that it received authorisation from the Supervisory Board to exercise options and increase the outstanding orders for both types. The announcement includes five new Airbus A350-900 orders and a purchase agreement for five already built Boeing 787-9. The airline now has a total of 45 Airbus A350-900 on order, as well as 25 Boeing 787-9 and 20 777-9. The five additional A350 orders are due to be delivered in 2027 and 2028. No 787 aircraft have been delivered to the company yet, but the first are set to arrive ahead of the upcoming winter season, with more to follow in the first half of 2022. Lufthansa Group will use the new aircraft to phase out older types at mainline Lufthansa and accelerate the modernisation of its long haul operations. “Even in these challenging times, we are continuing to invest in a more modern, more efficient and a lower emission Lufthansa Group fleet”, CEO Carsten Spohr said. The company’s fleet renewal has been driven forward faster than originally planned due to the coronavirus crisis, which led to early retirements of many older and larger aircraft, including the Airbus A340-600s and A380s that are now leaving the German flag carrier.