IN a move to expand its Airbus long-range fleet, the German air carrier Lufthansa has ordered seven additional A340-600 aircraft, bringing to 52 the number of similar planes in its fleet.

A statement from the European aircraft manufacturer said that with this order Airbus passes the milestone of 1,000 aircraft sales of the A330/A340 Family, "reconfirming its strong position in this market segment".

The new planes will be delivered from early 2008, and the air carrier plans to use the aircraft on high passenger demand long-haul routes out of Frankfurt and Munich, to destinations like the US west coast and Asia.

"When the largest operator of A340s places yet another follow-on order for seven additional aircraft it is a further vote of confidence for this highly reliable, efficient long haul machine," said John Leahy, Airbus customer COO.

Nico Buchholz, senior vice president corporate fleet of Deutsche Lufthansa AG said: "The additional A340-600 enable Lufthansa to underpin its growth in the long-haul sector. Furthermore, the aircraft plays an active role in Lufthansa's ecological contribution to lower fuel consumption and reduced noise emissions."

Lufthansa is one of the longest standing and largest Airbus customers worldwide, and one of the launch customers for the A340, the statement said.

Lufthansa has nearly 140 Airbus aircraft in its mainline fleet, including 13 A300-600, 10 A330s, 42 A340s plus 80 A320 family aircraft in service. In addition, Lufthansa has placed orders for 15 A380s, five A330s, 30 A320 Family as well as three A340s on top of the latest seven that have been ordered.