HAMBURG, GERMANY – The first Airbus A350 government aircraft arrived in Hamburg on May 7, 2020 at the VIP & Special Mission Aircraft Services Product Division of Lufthansa Technic AG. The German government will receive its brand new A350 at the end of July. A total of 3 VIP-aircraft were ordered by the German government. The A350s will replace the outdated A340 fleet, which suffered many technical problems lately. The A350 government aircraft is the world’s first conversion of an Airbus A350 into a VIP government aircraft.

The brand new German Air Force A350 government aircraft arrived at Hamburg International Airport Finkenwerder at around 1:30 PM on Thursday, where Lufthansa Technik AG has started to work on the cabin conversion of the first of 3 Airbus A350-900s for the German Federal Government’s Special Air Mission Wing.

Cabin Design by Lufthansa Technik

The aircraft will be given a government cabin by Lufthansa Technik and it will receive the temporary civil registration D-AGAF. Later on the aircraft will receive its military registration 10+03.

The German ‘Air Force One’ will initially be equipped with a special transitional cabin for the transport of representatives of the Federal Government and their accompanying delegations. The aircraft is scheduled to be delivered to the German Air Force by the end of July.   

The A350 will be equipped with office and conference areas and a multi-functional lounge area. The rest of the cabin space will be made suitable for accompanying delegations. The VIP aircraft will have a lot of seat space, an appropriate number of washrooms and modern kitchen equipment. 

The sister aircraft with registrations 10+01 and 10+02 – currently still under construction – will receive a fully featured VIP cabin from Lufthansa Technik in 2021. The transitional cabin in the 10+03 will also be exchanged with a full VIP interior.   

“Over decades we have formed a comprehensive partnership with the German Air Force, in the course of which we have already equipped a large number of aircraft with special cabins for government representatives,” said Kai-Stefan Röpke – Vice President VIP & Special Mission Aircraft Services to Lufthansa Technic.

“Today we are of course particularly pleased to be able to extend this cooperation to the most modern generation of aircraft and to install the first government cabin in an Airbus A350. This is not only a first for our long-standing customer German Air Force or for Lufthansa Technik, but for the entire industry,” Röpke added.

ACJ350 XWB

The Airbus A350ACJ or ACJ350 XWB is the latest addition to the ACJ-family of VIP widebody aircraft. The aircraft offers innovative technology, such as wings that morph in-flight to produce the most efficient and cost-effective flight possible as well as a fuselage made from next-generation carbon composite materials.

The XWB (Xtra Widebody) enables the ACJ350 to deliver Xtra comfort, Xtra efficiency, Xtra innovative technology and to be Xtra easy to outfit.

The ACJ350 XWB can fly 25 passengers 12,774 mi / 20,557 km, non-stop for more than 22 hours, which makes it today’s most modern and capable corporate jet.

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(Head photo: © Lufthansa Technik AG / Photographer: Kai Hager)