Two Lufthansa Cargo narrowbody freighters remain sidelined for a third week because of technical problems discovered after the aircraft entered a maintenance hangar to repair small cracks in rear floor boards, FreightWaves has learned.
Lufthansa repaired the cracks within a couple days of their discovery in mid-January, but inspectors subsequently discovered other technical issues with the planes, spokeswoman Katharina Stegmann wrote in an email. She did not provide specific details about the necessary fixes.
“At the moment, we are still waiting for spare parts for which reason the aircraft are not operating at the moment. Both aircraft will be repaired as soon as possible. As things stand at the moment, there will only be minimal short-term cancellations of individual frequencies in the cargo flight schedule,” Stegmann said.
The cargo subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG (DXE.LHA) in November accepted its fourth Airbus A321 converted freighter, which is deployed in the new short- and medium-haul network that stretches from Northern Europe to North Africa. Two planes are currently operating, but aircraft tracking site Flightradar24 shows that the other two have not flown since Jan. 18 and Jan. 20.
It’s not unusual for airlines to extend planned maintenance layovers because it’s an opportunity to correct other problems noticed during regular operation without having to take the aircraft out of service again.
The spare parts are taking longer to arrive than normal because of ongoing supply chain constraints — labor shortages, scarcity of raw materials, inflated costs for materials and labor, and extensive lead times — that have plagued manufacturers, maintenance organizations and airlines around the world since the COVID crisis.
“Everyone involved is working at full speed to ensure that the aircraft can be put back into service as quickly as possible,” said Stegmann.
Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH, the aircraft maintenance company owned by Airbus and an engineering partner, last month said the cracked shear plates detected in the rear floor structure on Jan. 9 during a routine check were unrelated to its work converting the former passenger planes to carry main-deck cargo.
“Our aircraft are safe, there is currently no indication that the damage is related to the passenger-to-freighter modification,” said EFW Chief Operating Officer Jordi Boto in a statement. “The detailed loads analyses have meanwhile shown that the A321 freighter certified mechanical loads are similar, or even lower, compared to the passenger aircraft results.”
There is no specific action required for operators, EFW said, adding that such damage is not unusual for mid-age A321 aircraft. The leased planes are 12 and 15 years old, which is young for conversion to freighter configuration.
Airbus said the cracks were related to corrosion, according to Aviation Week.
Lufthansa Cargo launched its regional cargo network for same-day e-commerce customers two years ago with a single A321 converted freighter capable of transporting 14 pallets on the main deck. The latest freighter enabled the airline to add Amman, Jordan, and Stockholm to its winter schedule that began on Oct. 29.
An A321 cargo jet connects Lufthansa’s central cargo hub in Frankfurt, Germany, to Amman once a week. Stockholm, a key export location for pharmaceutical and temperature-sensitive goods, has freighter service three times per week. In late November, Lufthansa Cargo added Stavanger, Norway, to its short- and medium-haul network. Stavanger has been part of the airline’s long-haul network, which utilizes Boeing 777 freighters, but is now served once a week by A321s operating to Frankfurt via Copenhagen, Denmark.
When the A321 fleet is fully restored, Lufthansa Cargo will again serve 18 destinations in the regional network on more than 32 weekly flights.
Lufthansa Cargo currently operates 16 Boeing 777 freighters — 11 under its own brand and five for DHL Express joint venture Aerologic. It is scheduled to receive two more 777s from Boeing this winter.
Meanwhile, a one-day strike by ground workers against Lufthansa at airports in Germany has impacted the majority of passenger and freighter operations. The Loadstar reports that shippers should expect delays.
Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.
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