Austrian Airlines is one of the oldest long-haul fleets in Europe and will need a fleet upgrade this decade.
Annette Mann, CEO and CFO of Austrian Airlines, said a lot will happen in the fleet in this decade.
Mann, who took over the Austrian Airlines leadership positions on March 1, said, "I can't give you a schedule, but it is also relatively normal for us in our group to fly aircraft that are up to 30 years old." We have to be able to pay for new aircraft.
The long haul fleet topic is sensitive in Austria. Austrian Airlines has a number of Boeing 757s and Boeing 797s. The oldest 757 was built in 1998 and the youngest in 2007. The fleet has two types of aircraft. All of these aircraft have been ordered by Lauda for his airline.
Austrian Airlines is the worst performer within the group. The Boeing 757s are nearing the end of their lives.
There will be something else happening in this decade. Mann told me that she is aware of the situation and that a uniform fleet will help with efficiency.
She said that the aircraft market is difficult. The scarcity of aircraft and the poor reliability of delivery dates are shown by the fact that the A380 is being reactivated.
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“The aircraft market is volatile and complex. We are in constant contact with the Lufthansa fleet management to see how a fleet exchange could look like for us,”
CEO and CFO Austrian Airlines, Annette Mann
Finnair is wet-easing three A350-900s. Mann was asked if it was possible for Austrian to have an interim solution. An interim solution can cost a lot of money. We want to find a long term solution. The aircraft market may get more complicated over the next few years.
Austrian will continue to be a network airline within the group. Nine aircraft is the minimum for a long-haul fleet.
Mann is open to all types of aircraft. It needs to be right for Austrian Airlines. It depends on a number of factors, including configuration and size, as well as the aircraft types that add complexity.
She said that the fleet is not the youngest but that there is no increase in maintenance costs. Austrian will not purchase any new aircraft. They will be leased from another company.
Mann is very happy that we are getting four A320neos. The first plane is expected in November. We fly a lot of tourists.
Austrian is at 85% capacity for its peak summer season, and has two A320s that have been put back into service.
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