Austrian Airlines is finally ready to start modernising its fleet. In the coming years the Austrian flag carrier is going to undertake an significant shift towards new generation long haul jets. Specifically Austrian will be adopting the Boeing 787. Let’s take a closer look at how the airline will modernise and change its fleet in the near future.
Which 787 Variant Will Austrian Adopt?
As mentioned the Austrian flag carrier, part of the Lufthansa Group, will be receiving and incorporating into its fleet the Boeing 787. Specifically it’ll be receiving the 9 variant of the type. This is the mid size of the aircraft type and is designed for long haul flights.
In terms of numbers, the airline will be receiving a total of 10 new Boeing 787-9.
When Will the New 787-9 Arrive?
These 787-9 that will join the Austrian Airlines fleet are part of a much larger order that the Lufthansa Group placed with Boeing. We saw just a few month ago the Lufthansa group undertake a similar operation with Swiss announcing the arrival of the A350.
The first of these 787s will be arriving in Vienna in early 2024 in order to serve the airline during the busy summer season. The remaining 9 planes will then join gradually over the following 4 years with the last delivery scheduled for 2028.
Will The New Austrian Airlines 787s Replace Older Jets?
Yes the introduction of these new generation 787-9 will allow the Austrian flag carrier to retire some of it ageing long range planes. The plan is for the Dreamliner to replace both the Boeing 777 and 767 currently forming the carrier’s LR fleet.
What Will The Cabin Layout Be?
As the Boeing 787-9 will be replacing the Boeing 777-200 and 767-300 it is likely that it will inherit their cabin configuration. At the moment Austrian Airlines operates these 2 aircraft types with a 3 class configuration:
- Business Class
- Premium Economy
- Economy Class
So it’s very likely that this will also be the cabin layout for the new Dreamliners. We’ll be looking forward and keeping our eyes pealed for the first of the 787 to land in Vienna’s Schwechat International Airport.
