Lufthansa Technik has handed over another new Airbus A350 governmental aircraft to the German Armed Forces. The jet was ceremonially christened Theodor Heuss after the first President of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The aircraft has been ferried from Lufthansa Technik’s base in Hamburg 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 the second of these A350s to have a full government cabin installed. Thus, 10+03, which for reasons of early availability was fitted with an interim cabin in 2020, returned to Lufthansa Technik’s Hamburg headquarters earlier this year. There, it is now also being fitted with the full government cabin, to complete the German Airforce’s A350 fleet in 2024.
The christening ceremony. Left to right: Alfonso Schemel, project manager, A350, Lufthansa Technik; Captain Dieter Brakonier, project manager, the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support – BAAINBw; Dr Sonja Schubert, unit manager at BAAINBw; and Michael von Puttkamer, vice president, Special Aircraft Services, Lufthansa Technik. Image: Lufthansa Technik AG/Jan Brandes
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 customised government interior, to meet 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 installed comfortable seating, 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, Lufthansa Technik. “The largest modernisation programme 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.”
