Airlines

Lufthansa Launches “Onboard Delights Last Minute”

On trans-European flights lasting more than an hour, Lufthansa has provided a wide selection of high-quality fresh meals, packaged snacks, and beverages for sale to its customers for almost two years. At their sites in Frankfurt and Munich, catering firm Gate Gourmet makes fresh meals, such as salads, bowls, and sandwiches, from scratch every day using recipes from dean&david.

Lufthansa offers New Onboard Delights: Pre-order your favorite meal and enjoy it on board(Opens in a new browser tab)

Furthermore, Dallmayr cake specialties are available. They have a short shelf life and must be thrown away if they are not sold on the authorised flights because they are purposefully manufactured without colorants or preservatives.

Now, Lufthansa is introducing the “Onboard Delights Last Minute” program, which gives passengers the chance to buy any fresh items that haven’t been sold by the time of landing just before landing on all flights to Frankfurt and Munich where Onboard Delights are offered, for the lower price of a uniform 3.50 euros, and take them with them.

Green fare: Lufthansa Group offer an own fare for more sustainable travel(Opens in a new browser tab)

This follows Lufthansa’s February introduction of the pre-ordering option for certain products as a further move towards decreasing food waste.

Another recent addition to Lufthansa Onboard Delights is the ability to accrue and redeem award miles while purchasing items from the Onboard Delights menu. When the Miles & More card is shown, at least one award mile is credited for each euro.

Airlines

Sanctions & Engine Issues Ground Half of Russia’s A320neo fleet

Russia’s aviation sector, already strained by Western sanctions, faces another setback as nearly half of its Airbus A320neo family aircraft are grounded due to unresolved engine issues.

This development highlights the growing challenges for russia commercial aircraft in maintaining their fleets under the weight of global restrictions and limited access to spare parts.

Out of the 66 Airbus A320neo and A321neo jets in Russia, 34 are now out of service, according to the Kommersant business newspaper. These planes are powered by engines manufactured by Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of RTX Corporation.

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The engines are affected by a previously identified defect in the metal used for certain parts, prompting accelerated inspections and maintenance.

Sanctions have compounded the issue, blocking the supply of essential components from major manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus. Without proper maintenance, experts warn that these aircraft may face decommissioning as early as 2026.

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Airlines like S7, which operates a significant portion of these grounded jets, plan to conserve the engines for future use during peak travel seasons. However, reports suggest that over 20 of S7’s Airbus planes have engines that have already reached the end of their operational lifespan. Recently, russia seeks assistance from kazakhstan’s airlines to bolster its domestic flights.

While some A320neo and A321neo planes in Russia are equipped with French-made LEAP engines, which are seen as less problematic, the challenges remain daunting.

The situation underscores the long-term impact of sanctions on Russia’s aviation sector and the increasing difficulties in keeping its modern fleets operational.