Lufthansa Technik AG today handed over another new Airbus A350 government aircraft to the German Armed Forces. Prior to this, the modern long-haul jet was ceremonially christened "Theodor Heuss", after the first President of the Federal Republic of Germany. Already tomorrow, the aircraft will be ferried from Lufthansa Technik's Hamburg base to Cologne-Wahn airport to be officially put into political-parliamentary flight service by the German Airforce.
"Theodor Heuss" bears the tactical registration 10+02 and is the third aircraft of this type to be handed over by Lufthansa Technik to the German Armed Forces, following "Kurt Schumacher" (10+03) and "Konrad Adenauer" (10+01). It is further the second A350 to have a full government cabin installed. Thus, 10+03, which for reasons of early availability had only received an interim cabin in 2020, has returned to Lufthansa Technik's Hamburg headquarters earlier this year. There, it is now also receiving the full government cabin in order to complete the German Airforce's A350 fleet in 2024.
10+02 had been transferred factory-fresh to Lufthansa Technik in
October 2021, where the company's Special Aircraft Services segment has since installed the highly customized government interior meeting the highest standards of functionality, connectivity, comfort, and privacy for traveling dignitaries. The interior is rounded off by an adjoining cabin area for the accompanying delegations. To also make their stay on board as pleasant as possible, Lufthansa Technik has not only installed comfortable seating with sufficient seat pitch, but also an appropriate number of private washrooms and a modern galley.
"Only last November we ceremoniously handed over 'Konrad Adenauer' to the German Armed Forces, and now 'Theodor Heuss' already marks the second A350 with a full government cabin to go to our valued customer," said Michael von Puttkamer, Vice President Special Aircraft Services at Lufthansa Technik. "The largest modernization program in the history of the German government fleet thus remains fully on schedule and on budget, and for this achievement I would like to express my sincere thanks to our enormously competent and highly motivated employees."
