1st A321LR handed over to the Luftwaffe

At a special ceremony at the ILA 2022 Airshow in Berlin on 23 June 2022, Lufthansa Technik officially handed over the first of two A321LRs (A321-200NX) to the German Air Force. The Airbus has the serial 15+10 (10613) and will be operated by the Flugbereitschaft des Bundesministeriums der Verteidigung (FBS BMVg) at Köln-Bonn. A second A321LR, 15+11 (10528) is due to follow soon.

The Airbus has been undergoing cabin outfitting and other modifications by Lufthansa Technik since December 2021 and will now be able to carry up to 136 passengers. The German Air Force is also planning to utilize the A321LR for med-evacs and Lufthansa Technik has developed special New Generation Passenger Transport Units (PTE NGs). With these units installed in the aircraft, it can carry six intensive care patients or up to twelve moderate injured/ill patients. Delivery of the PTE NGs is expected for early 2023.

The acquisition of these two A321LRs was announced in July 2020. Originally, the duo was destined to fly for Lufthansa but the airline decided to defer the order due to the pandemic. Next to these A321LRs, the FBS BMVg also operates three A319s, one A321-200, two A340-300s, one A350-900, three Global 5000s, three Global 6000s and three AS532U2s.

Photo by Lufthansa Technik.