The first of three Airbus A350s ordered by the German Air Force was officially handed over by Lufthansa Technik on Thursday. The A350s are to replace the outdated A340 fleet, which frequently suffers from technical problems. Germany is the first country to employ the Airbus A350 as a government aircraft.
The aircraft was flown from the Airbus factory in Toulouse to Hamburg in May, where a temporary interrior was installed by Lufthansa Technik. A luxurious VIP interior, as is customary with government aircraft, is still missing.
Due to the relatively fast cabin installation, Germany already has the new ‘Air Force One’ at its disposal. The German government placed the order for the A350s a year and a half ago.
At the moment the second and third government aircraft are still under construction. After delivery a luxury VIP cabin will be installed. Once the second and third aircraft have been completed, the now delivered airplane will also be fitted with a VIP interior.
Over the coming weeks the A350s crew will be trained after which the aircraft can enter service for the German government.