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Aurora D8

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The Aurora D8 , also known as the D8 Airliner , is an airliner concept under development as of mid 2017. The project was initiated in 2008 by Aurora Flight Sciences , the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Pratt & Whitney under NASA 's sponsorship of $ 2.9 million (£2.19 million).

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114-447: Aurora is refining the fuel-efficient D8 designed for NASA by MIT, and originally hoped to fly a half-scale demonstrator in 2022. The 180-seat, 3,000-nautical-mile-range (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) airliner is designed to fly at 582 mph (937 km/h; 506 kn) within the capabilities of the Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 and could be in test service by 2027 at the earliest and 2035 at

228-563: A Boeing 747 flight on 26 April 1970. It was followed by the introduction of the DC-10-30 on 12 November 1973, and the first Airbus A300 in 1976. In 1979, Lufthansa and Swissair became launch customers for the Airbus A310 with an order for twenty-five aircraft. The company's fleet modernization programme for the 1990s began on 29 June 1985, with an order for fifteen Airbus A320s and seven Airbus A300 -600s. Ten Boeing 737-300s were ordered

342-471: A travel ban because of the COVID-19 pandemic . Consequently, the airline incurred losses of 1 million euros per hour by April 2020. While Lufthansa reduced its costs throughout 2020, continuing health risks and travel restrictions still caused hourly losses of approximately 500,000 euros on average at the beginning of 2021. On 14 May, Lufthansa Group announced that it planned to operate 1,800 weekly flights by

456-413: A 16 euro surcharge on Global Distribution System bookings. The surcharge is payable unless tickets are purchased from the airline's website, or its airport service centres and ticket counters. Amadeus said the new model would make "comparison and transparency more difficult because travellers will now be forced to go to multiple channels to search for the best fares." For the period between 1–14 September,

570-634: A VIP aircraft by the Mexican Air Force for 23 years under registration TP-03. TP-03 would be broken up in 2006. The first 737-100, NASA 515, is on static display in the Museum of Flight in Seattle and is the last surviving example of the type. The 737-200 was a 737-100 with an extended fuselage, launched by an order from United Airlines in 1965 and entered service with the launch customer in April 1968. Its unit cost

684-468: A clean, low drag, high aspect ratio wing. Starting with slower flow, the reduction in exhaust velocity increases the propulsive efficiency with a similar specific thrust . By ingesting and reenergizing the boundary layer flow, BLI reduces by 40% in the D8 the wasted kinetic energy in the combined high-velocity jet exhaust and slow-speed wake behind the fuselage. Large-scale wind-tunnel testing with NASA showed

798-458: A design team, which cooperated with CFM International to select, modify and deploy a new engine and nacelle that would make the 737-300 into a viable aircraft. They chose the CFM56-3B-1 high-bypass turbofan engine to power the aircraft, which yielded significant gains in fuel economy and a reduction in noise, but also posed an engineering challenge, given the low ground clearance of the 737 and

912-414: A few days later. All were delivered between 1987 and 1992. Lufthansa also bought Airbus A321 , Airbus A340 , and Boeing 747-400 aircraft. In 1987, Lufthansa, together with Air France , Iberia , and Scandinavian Airlines , founded Amadeus , an IT company (also known as a GDS ) that would enable travel agencies to sell the founders and other airlines' products from a single system. Lufthansa adopted

1026-518: A gravel deflector on the nose gear and a vortex dissipator extending from the front of the engine. Alaska Airlines used the gravel kit for some of its combi aircraft rural operations in Alaska until retiring its -200 fleet in 2007. Air Inuit , Nolinor Aviation and Chrono Aviation still use the gravel kit in Northern Canada. Canadian North also operated a gravel-kitted 737-200 Combi, but this

1140-468: A historical study was commissioned to shed light on this aspect of the company's past. However, Lufthansa was criticized for not publishing the resulting study for more than a decade. The early 2000s witnessed Lufthansa demonstrate remarkable resilience in the face of industry challenges. Despite significant industry losses following the 11 September attacks, the airline maintained profitability and strategically avoided workforce reductions. Lufthansa became

1254-462: A long-standing dispute with the Vereinigung Cockpit union, which has advocated for a system in which pilots can retire at the age of 55, and 60% of their pay be retained. Lufthansa pilots were joined by pilots from the group's budget carrier Germanwings to stage a nationwide strike in support of their demands in April 2014 which lasted three days. The pilots staged a six-hour strike at the end of

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1368-403: A loss of 298 million euros in the first quarter of 2010 and another 13 million loss in the year 2011 due to the economic recession and restructuring costs, Deutsche Lufthansa AG cut 3,500 administrative positions or around 20 percent of the clerical total of 16,800 in 2012. Lufthansa announced a restructuring program called SCORE to improve its operating profit. As a part of the restructuring plan,

1482-456: A major purveyor of West Germany's image abroad. During this time, East Germany attempted to establish its own " Lufthansa " airline in 1955, but legal challenges from the West German carrier led to its abandonment.  East Germany subsequently launched Interflug as its national carrier in 1963. Lufthansa embraced the jet age in 1958 by ordering four Boeing 707 aircraft. This marked

1596-423: A need for a new aircraft to supplement the 727 on short and thin routes. Preliminary design work began on May 11, 1964, based on research that indicated a market for a fifty to sixty passenger airliner flying routes of 50 to 1,000 miles (100 to 1,600 km). The initial concept featured podded engines on the aft fuselage, a T-tail as with the 727, and five-abreast seating. Engineer Joe Sutter relocated

1710-456: A new Boeing aircraft. Lufthansa was the only significant customer to purchase the 737-100 and only 30 aircraft were produced. The -200 was rolled out on June 29, 1967, and had its maiden flight on August 8, 1967. It was then certified by the FAA on December 21, 1967. The inaugural flight for United Airlines took place on April 28, 1968, from Chicago to Grand Rapids, Michigan . The lengthened -200

1824-450: A new corporate identity in 1988. The fleet was given a new livery, while cabins, city offices, and airport lounges were redesigned. Following German reunification on 3 October 1990, Lufthansa swiftly reintegrated Berlin into its network, marking the city's return as a key destination within 25 days. The mid-1990s saw a period of strategic restructuring for Lufthansa. This involved the establishment of independent operating companies within

1938-418: A power-saving from BLI from 8.4% with the same jet nozzle area to 10.4% with the same mass flow . The BLI benefit is an order of magnitude more than the loss from ingesting distorted boundary-layer flow. A large fan size is needed to exceed a 20:1 bypass ratio . Developed by United Technologies Research Center, a distortion-tolerant fan was scale tested at NASA and coped with flow distortion from ingesting

2052-502: A range similar to the Airbus A319LR . The 737-800 was a stretched version of the 737-700 launched on September 5, 1994. The -800 seats 162 passengers in a two-class or 189 passengers in a high-density, one-class layout. Launch customer Hapag-Lloyd Flug (now TUIfly ) received the first one in April 1998. The -800 replaced directly the -400 and aging 727-200 of US airlines. It filled also the gap left by Boeing's decision to discontinue

2166-459: A result, service to Chicago from Düsseldorf was first made seasonal, suspended for the winter 2015 season, and then canceled altogether. Service to Newark, however, was initially maintained. From the winter 2015 schedule through the end of the winter 2016 schedule, Düsseldorf was served by aircraft which also flew the Munich-Newark route. The Düsseldorf-Newark route ended on 30 November 2018, which

2280-416: A retrofit was provided for active aircraft. Longer nacelle/wing fairings were introduced, and the airflow over the flaps and slats was improved. The production line also introduced an improvement to the flap system, allowing increased use during takeoff and landing. All these changes gave the aircraft a boost to payload and range, and improved short-field performance. Both the first and last 737-100s became

2394-565: A significant leap forward, allowing them to launch jet flights between Frankfurt and New York City in March 1960. To further bolster their jet fleet, Boeing 720B aircraft (a 707 derivative for shorter flights from shorter runways) were later acquired. Lufthansa's network continued to expand throughout the early 1960s. In February 1961, their Far East routes extended beyond Bangkok to include Hong Kong and Tokyo. Africa saw additions in 1962 with Lagos , Nigeria, and Johannesburg , South Africa joining

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2508-485: A single-class layout with slimline seats requiring an extra pair of exit doors . The MAX 200 would be 20% more cost-efficient per seat, including 5% lower operating costs than the MAX 8 and would be the most efficient narrow-body on the market when entering service. In mid-November 2018, the first MAX 200 of the 135 ordered by Ryanair rolled out, in a 197-seat configuration. It was first flown from Renton on January 13, 2019, and

2622-495: A strengthened wing spar . The -400s first flight was on February 19, 1988, and, after a seven-month/500-hour flight-testing run, entered service with Piedmont Airlines that October. The last two -400s, i.e. the last 737 Classics series, were delivered to CSA Czech Airlines on February 28, 2000. The 737-400 was replaced by the 737-800 of the Next Generation series. The 737-400SF was a 737-400 converted to freighter, though it

2736-428: A two class and 189 in a high-density, one class layout. The launch customer Alaska Airlines received the delivery on May 15, 2001. The 737-900ER (Extended Range) is the newest and largest variant of the 737NG generation. An additional pair of exit doors and a flat rear pressure bulkhead increased its seating capacity to 180 passengers in a two-class and up to 220 passengers in a one-class configuration. The -900ER

2850-919: Is the name given to the 737-300/400/500 series after the introduction of the -600/700/800/900 series of the Boeing 737 family. Produced from 1984 to 2000, a total of 1,988 Classic series were delivered. Close to the next major upgrade of single aisle aircraft at Airbus and Boeing, the price of jet fuel reached a peak in 2008, when airlines devoted 40% of the retail price of an air ticket to pay for fuel, versus 15% in 2000. Consequently, in that year carriers retired Boeing 737 Classic aircraft to reduce fuel consumption; replacements consisted of more efficient 737 Next Generation or A320 family aircraft. On June 4, 2008, United Airlines announced it would retire all 94 of its Classic 737 aircraft (64 737-300 and 30 737-500 aircraft), replacing them with A320 family jets taken from its Ted subsidiary, which has been shut down. This intensified

2964-516: The 737 MAX -7/8/9/10 variants, powered by improved CFM LEAP -1B high-bypass turbofans and accommodating 138 to 204 people, entered service in 2017. Boeing Business Jet versions have been produced since the 737NG, as well as military models. As of October 2024 , 16,705 Boeing 737s have been ordered and 11,898 delivered. Initially, its main competitor was the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 , followed by its MD-80 / MD-90 derivatives. In 2013,

3078-475: The Air Transport Association maintenance and engineering conference by chief project engineer Jack Steiner, where its elaborate high-lift devices raised concerns about maintenance costs and dispatch reliability. The original 737 continued to be developed into thirteen passenger, cargo, corporate and military variants. These were later divided into what has become known as the four generations of

3192-689: The Airbus A318 . The 737-700, the first variant of the Next-Generation, was launched in November 1993 with an order of 63 aircraft. The -700 seats 126 passengers in a two-class or 149 passengers in a one-class layout. The launch customer Southwest Airlines took the first delivery in December 1997. The 737-700 replaced the 737-300 and competes with the Airbus A319 . The 737-700C is a convertible version where

3306-464: The BAC One-Eleven (BAC-111), Douglas DC-9 , and Fokker F28 were already into flight certification. To expedite development, Boeing used 60% of the structure and systems of the existing 727, particularly the fuselage, which differs in length only. This 148-inch (3.76 m) wide fuselage cross-section permitted six-abreast seating compared to the rivals' five-abreast. The 727's fuselage was derived from

3420-720: The Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retained the 707 fuselage width and six abreast seating but with two underwing Pratt & Whitney JT8D low-bypass turbofan engines. Envisioned in 1964, the initial 737-100 made its first flight in April 1967 and entered service in February 1968 with Lufthansa . The lengthened 737-200 entered service in April 1968, and evolved through four generations, offering several variants for 85 to 215 passengers. The First Generation 737-100/200 variants were powered by Pratt & Whitney JT8D low-bypass turbofan engines and offered seating for 85 to 130 passengers. Launched in 1980 and introduced in 1984,

3534-536: The CFM LEAP -1B engine, with American Airlines intending to order 100 of these aircraft. On August 30, 2011, Boeing confirmed the launch of the 737 new engine variant, to be called the Boeing 737 MAX . It was based on earlier 737 designs with more efficient LEAP-1B power plants, aerodynamic improvements (most notably split-tip winglets ), and airframe modifications. It competes with the Airbus A320neo family that

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3648-553: The CFM56 . The 737 went on to become the highest-selling commercial aircraft in terms of orders until surpassed by the competing Airbus A320 family in October 2019, but maintains the record in total deliveries. The fuselage is manufactured in Wichita, Kansas , by Boeing spin-off company Spirit AeroSystems , before being moved by rail to Renton. The Renton factory has three assembly lines for

3762-608: The U.S. Air Force . Some were modified into CT-43s, which are used to transport passengers, and one was modified as the NT-43A Radar Test Bed. The first was delivered on July 31, 1973, and the last on July 19, 1974. The Indonesian Air Force ordered three modified 737-200s, designated Boeing 737-2X9 Surveiller . They were used as Maritime reconnaissance (MPA)/transport aircraft, fitted with SLAMMAR (Side-looking Multi-mission Airborne Radar). The aircraft were delivered between May 1982 and October 1983. After 40 years, in March 2008,

3876-410: The -500. The Boeing 737 Next Generation , abbreviated as 737 Next Gen or 737NG , is the name given to the main models 737-600/700/800/900 series and the extended range -700ER/900ER variants of the Boeing 737 family. It has been produced since 1996 and introduced in 1997, with a total order of 7,097 aircraft, of which 7,031 have been delivered as of May 2019 . The primary goal was to re-engine

3990-463: The 707. The proposed wing airfoil sections were based on those of the 707 and 727, but somewhat thicker; altering these sections near the nacelles achieved a substantial drag reduction at high Mach numbers. The engine chosen was the Pratt & Whitney JT8D -1 low-bypass ratio turbofan engine, delivering 14,500 pounds-force (64  kN ) of thrust. The concept design was presented in October 1964 at

4104-594: The 737 MAX; a fourth is planned to open at the Everett factory in 2024. The Boeing 737 Original is the name given to the -100/200 and -200 Advanced series of the Boeing 737 family. The initial model was the 737-100, the smallest variant of the 737 aircraft family, which was launched in February 1965 and entered service with Lufthansa in February 1968. In 1968, its unit cost was US$ 3.7M (1968), $ 32.4M today. A total of 30 737-100s were ordered: 22 by Lufthansa, 5 by Malaysia–Singapore Airlines (MSA) and 2 by Avianca with

4218-421: The 737 project would not be canceled. Consultation with Lufthansa over the previous winter had resulted in the seating capacity being increased to 100. On April 5, 1965, Boeing announced an order by United Airlines for 40 737s. United wanted a slightly larger capacity than the 737-100, so the fuselage was stretched 36 inches (91 cm) ahead of, and 40 inches (102 cm) behind the wing. The longer version

4332-524: The 737 with the high pressure ratio CFM56-7. By the early 1990s, as the MD-80 slowly withdrew from the competition following the introduction of the MD-90, it had become clear that the new A320 family was a serious threat to Boeing's market share. Airbus won previously loyal 737 customers, such as Lufthansa and United Airlines. In November 1993, to stay in the single aisle competition, Boeing's board of directors authorized

4446-432: The 737-100 for commercial flight on December 15, 1967. It was the first aircraft to have, as part of its initial certification, approval for Category II approaches , which refers to a precision instrument approach and landing with a decision height between 98 and 197 feet (30 and 60 m). Lufthansa received its first aircraft on December 28, 1967, and on February 10, 1968, became the first non-American airline to launch

4560-525: The 737-900 and competes with the Airbus A321neo . The 737 MAX 10 was proposed as a stretched MAX 9 in mid-2016, enabling seating for 230 in a single class or 189 in two-class layout, compared to 193 in two-class seating for the A321neo. The modest 66-inch (1.7 m) stretch of fuselage enables the MAX 10 to retain the existing wing and CFM Leap 1B engine from the MAX 9 with a trailing-link main landing gear as

4674-408: The Boeing 737 family: The launch decision for the $ 150 million (~$ 1.11 billion in 2023) development was made by the board on February 1, 1965. The sales pitch was big-jet comfort on short-haul routes. Lufthansa became the launch customer on February 19, 1965, with an order for 21 aircraft, worth $ 67 million (~$ 494 million in 2023) after the airline had been assured by Boeing that

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4788-528: The CFM56 included the U.S. Air Force with its program to re-engine KC-135 tankers. The passenger capacity of the aircraft was increased to 149 by extending the fuselage around the wing by 9 feet 5 inches (2.87 m). The wing incorporated several changes for improved aerodynamics. The wingtip was extended 9 inches (23 cm), and the wingspan by 1 foot 9 inches (53 cm). The leading-edge slats and trailing-edge flaps were adjusted. The tailfin

4902-456: The FAA cleared the MAX to return to service. Before the aircraft can fly again, repairs must be implemented and airlines' training programs must be approved. Passenger flights in the U.S. are expected to resume before the end of the year. Worldwide, the first airline to resume passenger service was Brazilian low-cost Gol , on December 9, 2020. The 737 MAX 7, a shortened variant of the MAX ;8,

5016-454: The French Alps, killing all 150 aboard whereas Spohr had misleadingly said the co-pilot "was 100% airworthy without any restrictions, without any conditions". In June 2015, Lufthansa announced plans to close its small long-haul base at Düsseldorf Airport for economic reasons by October 2015. At the time, the base consisted of two Airbus A340-300s rotating between Newark and Chicago . As

5130-533: The Lufthansa Group, specializing in areas like maintenance ( Lufthansa Technik ), cargo ( Lufthansa Cargo ), and information technology ( Lufthansa Systems ). Over time, the group further expanded through the addition of LSG Sky Chefs (catering), Condor (leisure travel), and Lufthansa CityLine (regional operations). Lufthansa joined Air Canada , Scandinavian Airlines , Thai Airways International , and United Airlines to form Star Alliance on 18 May 1997,

5244-525: The MD-80 and MD-90 aircraft, following Boeing's merger with McDonnell Douglas . The 737-800 is the most widely used narrowbody aircraft and competes primarily with the Airbus A320. The 737-900 was launched in 1997 and took its first flight on August 3, 2000. It retains the MTOW , fuel capacity, trading range for payload and also the exit configuration of the -800, limiting its seat capacity to approximately 177 in

5358-446: The March 2015 Germanwings Flight 9525 incident, "the darkest day for Lufthansa in its 60-year history", when pilot Andreas Lubitz intentionally flew an aircraft into a mountain, murdering 149 passengers. Nonetheless, damage control by Spohr and his team was poor according to several sources. It was revealed that Lubitz suffered from a severe case of depression and mental disorders and had intentionally crashed Germanwings Flight 9525 into

5472-407: The Next Generation program to mainly upgrade the 737 Classic series. In late 1993, after engineering trade studies and discussions with major customers, Boeing proceeded to launch a second derivative of the Boeing 737, the 737 Next Generation (NG) -600/700/800/900 series. It featured a redesigned wing with a wider wingspan and larger area, greater fuel capacity, longer range and higher MTOWs . It

5586-403: The Next Generation series. The 737-500 was offered as a modern and direct replacement of the 737-200. It was launched in 1987 by Southwest Airlines , with an order for 20 aircraft, and it flew for the first time on June 30, 1989. A single prototype flew 375 hours for the certification process, and on February 28, 1990, Southwest Airlines received the first delivery. The -500 incorporated

5700-533: The Second Generation 737 Classic -300/400/500 variants were upgraded with more fuel-efficient CFM56-3 high-bypass turbofans and offered 110 to 168 seats. Introduced in 1997, the Third Generation 737 Next Generation (NG) -600/700/800/900 variants have updated CFM56-7 high-bypass turbofans, a larger wing and an upgraded glass cockpit , and seat 108 to 215 passengers. The latest, and Fourth Generation,

5814-528: The South Atlantic from August 1956. However, the political realities of the time presented challenges to the airline. The United States, Soviet Union, Britain and France did not allow Lufthansa to fly to any part of the divided Berlin during the division of Germany . The airline had hoped this would only be a temporary matter and planned to move its headquarters and primary hub back to the German capital once

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5928-473: The aft fuselage instead of as a T-tail. Many designs for the engine attachment strut were tested in the wind tunnel and the optimal shape for high speed was found to be one which was relatively thick, filling the narrow channels formed between the wing and the top of the nacelle, particularly on the outboard side. At the time, Boeing was far behind its competitors; the SE 210 Caravelle had been in service since 1955, and

6042-539: The aircraft to modern specifications, while also retaining commonality with previous 737 variants. In 1980, preliminary aircraft specifications of the variant, dubbed 737-300, were released at the Farnborough Airshow . This first major upgrade series was later renamed 737 Classic. It competed primarily with the MD-80, its later derivative the MD-90 , and the newcomer Airbus A320 family . Boeing engineer Mark Gregoire led

6156-582: The airline announced it would sell six A380 aircraft back to Airbus, beginning in 2022. Pro-migration activists from Germany have criticised Lufthansa for performing deportation flights on behalf of the German government. In 2019, 4,573 people were deported on their planes, while their subsidiary Eurowings performed 1,312 deportations. This totals more than 25% of deportations in Germany in 2019. At least two deportees perished during transport. On 19 March 2020, Lufthansa cancelled 95 percent of all flights due to

6270-469: The airline experienced a 16.1% drop in revenue, indicating to some that the new fee backfired, although the airline maintains that the decrease was due to the pilot strike, and "other seasonal effects". In October 2017, Lufthansa took over 81 aircraft from the insolvent Air Berlin . The total purchase price for the shares acquired by Lufthansa from the insolvency estate of Air Berlin amounted to around 210 million euros. On 4 December 2017, Lufthansa became

6384-449: The boundary layer close to the upper fuselage surface. As a compact core limits blade tip clearances issues due to bending but cannot house the fan to low-pressure turbine driveshaft, Pratt & Whitney turned the core backwards, similar to PT6 arrangement, with hot gas discharged forward through a low-pressure power turbine connected to the fan via a short shaft and a gearbox. To avoid the risk of an uncontained engine failure causing

6498-540: The branding of the former flag carrier by acquiring the Luft Hansa name and logo in 1954. Lufthansa's corporate headquarters are in Cologne . The main operations base, called Lufthansa Aviation Center , is located at Frankfurt Airport , the airline's primary hub. It also maintains a secondary hub at Munich Airport , along with its Flight Operations Centre . Lufthansa traces its history to 1926 when Deutsche Luft Hansa

6612-484: The company started to transfer all short-haul flights outside its hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, and Düsseldorf to the company's re-branded low-cost carrier Germanwings . In September 2013, Lufthansa Group announced its biggest order, for 59 wide-body aircraft valued more than 14 billion euros at list prices. Earlier in the same year, Lufthansa placed an order for 100 next-generation narrow-body aircraft. The group has had

6726-462: The competition between the two giant aircraft manufacturers, which has since become a duopoly competition . An optional upgrade with winglets became available for the Classic and NG series. Development began in 1979 for the 737's first major revision, which was originally introduced as the 'new generation' of the 737. Boeing wanted to increase capacity and range, incorporating improvements to upgrade

6840-450: The denser, 200-seat MAX 200), and MAX 9 replace the 737-700, -800, and -900 respectively. The further stretched 737 MAX 10 has also been added to the series. The aim was to re-engine the 737NG family using CFM LEAP-1B engines having very high bypass ratio, to compete with the Airbus A320neo family. On July 20, 2011, Boeing announced plans for a third major upgrade and respectively fourth generation of 737 series to be powered by

6954-432: The distinction of being the first customer for the Boeing 737 and one of only four buyers of the initial 737-100 model (alongside NASA , Malaysia-Singapore Airlines , and Avianca ). While NASA technically had the first built 737 airframe, it was ultimately delivered last and originally intended for Lufthansa, making them the first foreign launch customer for a Boeing airliner. The wide-body era for Lufthansa started with

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7068-655: The end of June. The company's recovery plans involved high-density cargo to replace paying customers. All Lufthansa Group required all passengers to wear a mask while aboard. On 25 June, Deutsche Lufthansa AG shareholders accepted a € 9,000,000,000 bailout, consisting of capital measures and the participation of the Economic Stabilisation Fund (WSF) of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy . The measures, which passed after initial opposition by principal shareholder Heinz Hermann Thiele , gave

7182-480: The end of the 2000s, Lufthansa made a large commitment to very large aircraft, introducing the first of 14 Airbus A380 in 2010 and becoming the becoming the launch customer for the Boeing 747-8I in 2012, eventually purchasing 19 of the type. In 2011 Lufthansa planned significant growth at Berlin Brandenburg Airport for the originally planned opening in 2012 with many new connections from Berlin. After

7296-460: The engines at the rear end of the D8 instead of below the wings used in conventional aircraft design allows reduction of thrust requirements by minimizing inefficiency from Boundary Layer Ingestion (BLI). This results in the ability to use smaller and lighter high bypass ratio engines . However, the chassis features less radical than competing blended wing body concepts without modifying existing airport infrastructure, and BLI. The original goal

7410-437: The engines to the wings which lightened the structure and simplified the accommodation of six-abreast seating in the fuselage. The engine nacelles were mounted directly to the underside of the wings, without pylons, allowing the landing gear to be shortened, thus lowering the fuselage to improve baggage and passenger access. Relocating the engines from the aft fuselage also allowed the horizontal stabilizer to be attached to

7524-436: The evaluation. In celebration, Lufthansa painted an Airbus A320 and a Boeing 747-8 in the "5 Starhansa" livery. In March 2018, Lufthansa and other airlines like British Airways and American Airlines accepted a request from Beijing to list Taiwan as part of China. In March 2019, Lufthansa ordered 20 Boeing 787-9 and an additional 20 Airbus A350-900 for its own and the group's fleet replacement and expansion. Also,

7638-606: The final 737-200 aircraft in the U.S. flying scheduled passenger service were phased out, with the last flights of Aloha Airlines . As of 2018, the variant still saw regular service through North American charter operators such as Sierra Pacific Airlines . The short-field capabilities of the 737-200 led Boeing to offer the "Unpaved Strip Kit" (see the Air North example, right). This option reduced foreign object damage when operated on remote, unimproved or unpaved runways, that competing jetliners could not use safely. The kit included

7752-411: The final commercial aircraft delivered to MSA on October 31, 1969. This variant was largely overshadowed by its bigger 737-200 sibling, which entered service two months later. The original engine nacelles incorporated thrust reversers taken from the 727 outboard nacelles. They proved to be relatively ineffective and tended to lift the aircraft up off the runway when deployed. This reduced the downforce on

7866-457: The first European airline to receive the Skytrax 5-star certification. As stated by Skytrax, a key factor in the positive rating was the announcement of a new Business Class cabin and seating that was expected to be introduced in 2020. While this makes Lufthansa the 10th airline to be holding this award, in reality the 5th star was given to a product that was supposed to be introduced two years after

7980-531: The first variant of the 737 MAX, has a longer fuselage than the MAX 7. On July 23, 2013, Boeing completed the firm configuration for the 737 MAX 8. Its first commercial flight was operated by Malindo Air on May 22, 2017. The MAX 8 replaced the 737-800 and competed with the A320neo. The 737 MAX 200 , a high-density version of the 737 MAX 8, was launched in September 2014 and named for seating for up to 200 passengers in

8094-554: The global 737 fleet had completed more than 184 million flights over 264 million block hours since its entry into service. It was the highest-selling commercial aircraft until being surpassed by the competing Airbus A320 family in October 2019, but maintains the record in total deliveries. The 737 MAX, designed to compete with the A320neo , was grounded worldwide between March 2019 and November 2020 following two fatal crashes. Boeing had been studying short-haul jet aircraft designs, and saw

8208-431: The government a 20% stake in the airline. In January 2021, Lufthansa CEO Spohr announced that the entire currently stored Airbus A340-600 fleet will be retired with immediate effect and not return to service anymore. This decision was later overturned, with several A340-600 aircraft returning to service in 2021 after several months in storage. In June 2021, Lufthansa said it wants to repay state aid it received during

8322-482: The improvements of the 737 Classic series, allowing longer routes with fewer passengers to be more economical than with the 737-300. The fuselage length of the 737-500 is 1 foot 7 inches (48 cm) longer than the 737-200, accommodating up to 140 passengers. Both glass and older-style mechanical cockpits arrangements were available. Using the CFM56-3 engine also gave a 25 percent increase in fuel efficiency over

8436-438: The larger diameter of the engine over the original Pratt & Whitney engines. Gregoire's team and CFM solved the problem by reducing the size of the fan (which made the engine slightly less efficient than it had been forecast to be), placing the engine ahead of the wing, and by moving engine accessories to the sides of the engine pod, giving the engine a distinctive non-circular "hamster pouch " air intake. Earlier customers for

8550-428: The last 737-100s in service. The first aircraft used by Boeing as prototype under registration N73700 was later ordered by and delivered to NASA on July 26, 1973, which then operated it under registration N515NA and retired after 30 years on September 27, 2003. The last 737-100 built and also the last operating was originally sold to Malaysia–Singapore Airlines : it was transferred to Air Florida before being used as

8664-446: The latest. Aurora Flight Sciences was purchased by Boeing on November 8, 2017 for their drone developments. The subsidiary is intended to accelerate Boeing's development of autonomous technology. The side-by-side "double bubble" fuselage provides additional lift along the nose section as well as faster turnaround owing to its wider fuselage. As a result, smaller wings can be used to generate lift which reduces drag. The mounting of

8778-453: The launch customer for the Connexion by Boeing in-flight internet connectivity in 2004. Lufthansa further solidified its position as a major European airline group through strategic acquisitions. The acquisitions of Swiss International Air Lines in 2005, Brussels Airlines (staged between 2009 and 2017), and Austrian Airlines in 2009 expanded the group's reach and network capabilities. At

8892-530: The liquidated Deutsche Lufthansa for DM 30,000 (equivalent to €41,000 today), thus continuing the tradition of a German flag carrier with that name. On 1 April 1955, Lufthansa won approval to commence operation of scheduled domestic flights. The airline's initial network linked Hamburg , Düsseldorf , Frankfurt , Cologne, and Munich . International flights started on 15 May 1955, to London , Paris , and Madrid , followed by Super Constellation flights to New York City from 1 June of that year, and across

9006-452: The longer length. Entry into service with launch operator Southwest Airlines was expected in January 2019, but the airline deferred these orders until 2023–2024. The 737 MAX 7 replaced the 737-700 and was predicted to carry 12 more passengers and fly 400 nautical miles (740 km; 460 mi) farther than the competing Airbus A319neo with 7% lower operating costs per seat. The 737 MAX 8,

9120-477: The main wheels thereby reducing the effectiveness of the wheel brakes. In 1968, an improvement to the thrust reversal system was introduced. A 48-inch tailpipe extension was added and new target-style thrust reversers were incorporated. The thrust reverser doors were set 35 degrees away from the vertical to allow the exhaust to be deflected inboard and over the wings and outboard and under the wings. The improvement became standard on all aircraft after March 1969, and

9234-451: The network. Innovation continued with the introduction of the Boeing 727 in 1964. This enabled Lufthansa to launch a pioneering Polar route from Frankfurt to Tokyo via Anchorage in May of that year. Further expansion plans were solidified in February 1965 with the order of twenty-one Boeing 737 aircraft, entering service in 1968. Lufthansa's role in Boeing's history is noteworthy. They hold

9348-413: The older 737-200s P&W engines. The 737-500 has faced accelerated retirement due to its smaller size, after 21 years in service compared to 24 years for the -300. While a few 737-300s were slated for freighter conversion, no demand at all existed for a -500 freighter conversion. The 737-500 was replaced by the 737-600 of the Next Generation series, though the -600 was not as successful in total orders as

9462-500: The only major change. The MAX 10 was launched on June 19, 2017, with 240 orders and commitments from more than ten customers. The variant configuration with a predicted 5% lower trip cost and seat cost compared to the A321neo was firmed up by February 2018, and by mid-2018, the critical design review was completed. The MAX 10 has a similar capacity to the A321XLR, but shorter range and much poorer field performance in smaller airports. It

9576-582: The original -200s and respectively -100s. The 737-200 Advanced became the production standard in June 1971. Boeing also provided the 737-200C ( Combi ), which allowed for conversion between passenger and cargo use and the 737-200QC (Quick Change), which facilitated a rapid conversion between roles. The 1,114th and last delivery of a -200 series aircraft was in August 1988 to Xiamen Airlines . Nineteen 737-200s, designated T-43 , were used to train aircraft navigators for

9690-546: The pandemic before Germany's federal election in September 2021 if possible. Also in June 2021, Lufthansa said it would change its communications to adopt a more gender-neutral and inclusive language. It will remove greetings such as " Ladies and Gentlemen ". In January 2022, Lufthansa admitted it had operated over 18,000 empty flights to keep airport slots during the pandemic. In March 2022, Lufthansa originally confirmed that its entire Airbus A380 fleet would be retired, having been in storage since early 2020. This decision

9804-452: The political situation changed, plans that ultimately never came to fruition. Instead, Lufthansa turned Frankfurt Airport into its primary hub in 1958. The airline also embarked on a marketing campaign to encourage travelers to consider visiting West Germany as it rebuilt in the wake of World War II and to use its hub to connect to other locations across Europe. By 1963, the airline, initially limited in its public relations efforts, had become

9918-413: The pre-war Deutsche Luft Hansa. West Germany had not yet been granted full sovereignty over its airspace, so it was not known when the new airline could become operational. Nevertheless, in 1953, Luftag placed orders for four Convair CV-340 and four Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellations aircraft and set up a maintenance base at Hamburg Airport . On 6 August 1954, Luftag acquired the name and logo of

10032-453: The primary competitor for the 737NG series remained only the A320 family. The 737-600, the smallest model of the Next-Generation, was launched by Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) in March 1995 with the first aircraft delivered in September 1998. A total of 69 aircraft without winglets have been produced with the last one delivered to WestJet in 2006. The 737-600 replaced the 737-500 and is similar to

10146-450: The seats can be removed to carry cargo instead. There is a large door on the left side of the aircraft. The United States Navy was the launch customer for the 737-700C under the military designation C-40 Clipper . The 737-700ER (Extended Range ) was launched on January 31, 2006, and featured the fuselage of the 737-700 and the wings and landing gear of the 737-800. A 737-700ER can typically accommodate 126 passengers in two classes with

10260-473: The second engine to fail, the cores are angled by 50° since they are no longer mechanically linked to the fan, with low pressure losses since only the core flow is turned. Not connected to the power section, the core can be disassembled for maintenance. Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is an American narrow-body airliner produced by Boeing at its Renton factory in Washington . Developed to supplement

10374-442: The series has received 5,011 firm orders. In March 2019, civil aviation authorities around the world grounded the 737 MAX following two hull loss crashes which caused 346 deaths. On December 16, 2019, Boeing announced that it would suspend production of the 737 MAX from January 2020, which was resumed in May 2020. In the midyear 2020, the FAA and Boeing conducted a series of recertification test flights. On November 18, 2020,

10488-491: The summer holidays in September 2014, which caused the cancellation of 200 Lufthansa flights and 100 Germanwings flights. During the course of the 2014 FIFA World Cup , part of the fleet was branded "Fanhansa". In November 2014, Lufthansa signed an outsourcing deal worth $ 1.25 billion with IBM that will see the US company take over the airline's IT infrastructure services division and staff. Carsten Spohr, Lufthansa's CEO, called

10602-500: The surrender of Germany and the ensuing Allied occupation of Germany , all aircraft in the country were seized and Deutsche Luft Hansa was dissolved. The remaining assets were liquidated on 1 January 1951. In an effort to create a new national airline, a company called Aktiengesellschaft für Luftverkehrsbedarf ( Luftag ) was founded in the city of Cologne in West Germany on 6 January 1953, with many of its staff having worked for

10716-520: The three European short-haul single aisles slowly withdrew from the competition. Sales were low in the early 1970s and, after a peak of 114 deliveries in 1969, only 22 737s were shipped in 1972 with 19 in backlog. The US Air Force saved the program by ordering T-43s , which were modified Boeing 737-200s. African airline orders kept the production running until the 1978 US Airline Deregulation Act , which improved demand for six-abreast narrow-body aircraft. Demand further increased after being re-engined with

10830-658: The world by revenue . Lufthansa is also one of the five founding members of Star Alliance , which is the world's largest airline alliance , formed in 1997. Lufthansa was founded in 1953 and commenced operations in April 1955. Besides operating flights under its own brand, the Lufthansa Group also owns several other airlines, including Austrian Airlines , Brussels Airlines , Discover Airlines , Eurowings and Swiss International Air Lines . The group also owns several aviation-related companies, including Global Load Control , Lufthansa Consulting , Lufthansa Flight Training , Lufthansa Systems and Lufthansa Technik . The company

10944-400: The world's first multilateral airline alliance . Lufthansa actively addressed its historical legacy during this period. In 1999, the airline participated in a German initiative aimed at resolving wartime misdeeds, acknowledging the use of forced labor by its predecessor, Deutsche Luft Hansa. As part of the initiative, Lufthansa also reportedly paid tens of millions German marks. Additionally,

11058-400: Was US$ 4.0M (1968) ($ 35M today). The -200's unit cost was US$ 5.2M (1972) ($ 37.9M today). The 737-200 Advanced is an improved version of the -200, introduced into service by All Nippon Airways on May 20, 1971. After aircraft #135, the 737-200 Advanced has improved aerodynamics, automatic wheel brakes, more powerful engines, more fuel capacity, and hence a 15% increase in payload and range over

11172-450: Was designated the -300SP ( Special Performance ). The 737-300 was replaced by the 737-700 of the Next Generation series. The 737-400 was launched in 1985 to fill the gap between the 737-300 and the 757-200. In June 1986, Boeing announced the development of the 737-400, which stretched the fuselage a further 10 feet (3.0 m), increasing the capacity to 188 passengers, and requiring a tail bumper to prevent tailstrikes during take-off and

11286-478: Was designated the 737-200, with the original short-body aircraft becoming the 737-100. Detailed design work continued on both variants simultaneously. The first -100 was rolled out on January 17, 1967, and took its maiden flight on April 9, 1967, piloted by Brien Wygle and Lew Wallick. After several test flights the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued Type Certificate A16WE certifying

11400-502: Was due to be retired in early 2023. As of September 2023 , a relatively high number of 737-200s remain in service compared to other early jet airliners, with fifty examples actively flying for thirty carriers. During the 737 MAX groundings , older 737s, including the 200 and Classic series , were in demand for leasing. C-GNLK, one of Nolinor's 737-200s, is the oldest jet airliner in commercial service as of 2024, having entered service 50 years prior in 1974. The Boeing 737 Classic

11514-414: Was due to enter service in April 2019. The 737 MAX 9, the stretched variant of the MAX 8, was launched with an order of 201 aircraft in February 2012. It made its roll-out on March 7, 2017, and first flight on April 13, 2017; It was certified by February 2018. The launch customer, Lion Air Group, took the first MAX 9 on March 21, 2018, before entering service with Thai Lion Air . The 737 MAX 9 replaced

11628-405: Was equipped with CFM56-7 high pressure ratio engines, a glass cockpit , and upgraded interior configurations. The four main models of the series can accommodate seating for 108 to 215 passengers. It was further developed into additional versions such as the corporate Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) and military P-8 Poseidon aircraft. Following the merger between Boeing with McDonnell Douglas in 1997,

11742-582: Was formed in Berlin by the merger of Deutscher Aero Lloyd , the world´s sixth-oldest airline , and Junkers Luftverkehr . Deutsche Luft Hansa was Germany's flag carrier until the outbreak of war when it came under the command of the Luftwaffe . During the war, the airline was focused mainly on aircraft maintenance and repair in which forced labor was employed on the site of Berlin Tempelhof Airport . Following

11856-459: Was founded as Aktiengesellschaft für Luftverkehrsbedarf (often shortened to Luftag ) on 6 January 1953 by staff of the former Deutsche Luft Hansa , Germany's national airline founded in 1926. While Deutsche Luft Hansa played a significant role in the development of commercial aviation in Germany, it was liquidated in 1951 due to its association with the Nazi regime during World War II . Luftag adopted

11970-553: Was introduced to meet the range and passenger capacity of the discontinued 757-200 and to directly compete with the Airbus A321 . The Boeing 737 MAX is the name given to the main models 737 MAX 7/8/9/10 series and the higher-density MAX 200 variant of the Boeing 737 family. It is offered in four main variants, typically offering 138 to 230 seats and a range of 3,215 to 3,825 nautical miles [nmi] (5,954 to 7,084 km; 3,700 to 4,402 mi). The 737 MAX 7, MAX 8 (including

12084-437: Was launched in December 2010 and reached 1,029 orders by June 2011, breaking Boeing's monopoly with American Airlines , which had an order for 130 A320neos that July. The 737 MAX had its first flight on January 29, 2016, and gained FAA certification on March 8, 2017. The first delivery was a MAX 8 on May 6, 2017, to Lion Air 's subsidiary Malindo Air , which put it into service on May 22, 2017. As of January 2019 ,

12198-402: Was not a model delivered by Boeing and hence the nickname Special Freighter (SF) . Alaska Airlines was the first to convert one of their 400s from regular service to an aircraft with the ability to handle 10 pallets. The airline had also converted five more into fixed combi aircraft for half passenger and freight. These 737-400 Combi aircraft were retired in 2017 and replaced by the 737-700F of

12312-455: Was operated with an Airbus A330-300 aircraft. Their base was officially closed in March 2019. On 22 March 2016, Lufthansa ended Boeing 737-500 operations. The airline's last Boeing 737 (a 737-300) was retired on 29 October 2016, after a flight from Milan to Frankfurt. Lufthansa operated the 737 in several variants for almost 50 years, the first aircraft having been delivered on 27 December 1967. On 1 September 2015, Lufthansa implemented

12426-497: Was originally based on the 737-700, flying 1,000 nautical miles (1,900 km; 1,200 mi) farther and accommodating two more seat rows at 18% lower fuel costs per seat. The redesign uses the 737-8 wing and landing gear; a pair of over-wing exits rather than the single-door configuration; a 46-inch-longer (1,200 mm) aft fuselage and a 30-inch-longer (760 mm) longer forward fuselage; structural re-gauging and strengthening; and systems and interior modifications to accommodate

12540-450: Was redesigned, the flight deck was improved with the optional EFIS (Electronic Flight Instrumentation System), and the passenger cabin incorporated improvements similar to those developed on the Boeing 757 . The prototype -300, the 1,001st 737 built, first flew on February 24, 1984, with pilot Jim McRoberts. It and two production aircraft flew a nine-month-long certification program. The 737-300 retrofitted with Aviation Partners ' winglets

12654-447: Was reversed in June 2022, with plans to now return up to five aircraft from storage by 2023 to be based at Munich Airport . There is also an option to return all eight remaining A380 aircraft to service by 2024, as six of formerly 14 have already been sold. In May 2022, Skytrax demoted Lufthansa from its aforementioned 5-star rating which it held since 2017 as the first European carrier to do so, to an overall 4-star rating. In 2023,

12768-442: Was to reduce fuel burn by 70% and noise by 71 dB by flying at Mach 0.74, but a more traditional Mach 0.82 wing and fuselage growth resulted in a more-conservative 49% fuel burn reduction and 40 EPNdB noise reduction against a Boeing 737-800 . Clustering the engines together atop the wide tail of a flattened fuselage enables them to reenergize the slow-moving boundary layer over the fuselage to increase efficiency, and allow

12882-610: Was unveiled in Boeing's Renton factory on November 22, 2019, and scheduled for first flight in 2020. Boeing also considered parallel development with the 757 replacement, similar to the development of the 757 and 767 in the 1970s. Lufthansa Deutsche Lufthansa AG ( German pronunciation: [ˌdɔʏtʃə ˈlʊfthanzaː ʔaːˈɡeː] ), or simply Lufthansa , is the flag carrier of Germany . When combined with its subsidiaries, it ranks second in Europe by passengers carried, as well as largest in Europe and fourth largest in

12996-492: Was widely preferred over the -100 by airlines. The improved version, the 737-200 Advanced, was introduced into service by All Nippon Airways on May 20, 1971. The 737 original model with its variants, known later as the Boeing 737 Original , initially competed with SE 210 Caravelle and BAC-111 due to their earlier entry into service and later primarily with the McDonnell Douglas DC-9, then its MD-80 derivatives as

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