COLOGNE, Germany: This week, Lufthansa ordered 80 planes worth US$9 billion from Boeing and Airbus, and agreed to future purchasing options.

Under the deals, the German flagship carrier will receive 40 Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes and 40 Airbus A220-300s from 2026 to 2032.

They also include 60 future purchasing options for the MAX 8, 20 options for the A220, and 40 options for Airbus A320s.

The order is the first purchase of Lufthansa, considered to be one of the industry's most technically demanding buyers, of Boeing narrow body planes in some 30 years, and its first of the 737 MAX.

The Lufthansa Group was the original launch customer for what was then known as the Bombardier CSeries in 2008. After Bombardier experienced financial issues, Airbus bought the small passenger plane program in 2018 and renamed it A220.

Lufthansa's repeat order for the A220 is a boost for the small passenger plane amid problems with engines made by Pratt & Whitney, which have affected part of the Airbus A320 family and the smaller A220 to a lesser extent.

"It is a good strategic decision for the Lufthansa Group to order Boeing 737 aircraft again for the first time since 1995," said Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr, adding that the MAX 8 would enable the company to meet carbon reduction requirements.

Lufthansa plans to finance the purchase with net investments of Euro2.5 billion to Euro3 billion ($2.7 billion to $3.2 billion) in both 2023 and 2024.