Lufthansa wants an even longer-range Airbus A321LR

Airbus has only just rolled out a long-range model in its A321 family, but Lufthansa wants even more range from the twin-engine single-aisle jet – sufficient to run non-stop flights from Germany to New York.

"No decision has been taken. They can cross the Atlantic but they don't manage to go from Germany all the way to the east coast," Carsten Spohr told journalists on the sidelines of an airlines event in Brussels.

The A321LR is a stretched and range-boosted version of the A320 which Airbus says can fly direct between Paris and New York.

Spohr also said Lufthansa was in talks with Boeing over a possible new 'middle of the market' plane dubbed the Boeing 797. "It's too early, but we are in talks. They are talking to all major airlines," he said.

However, Lufthansa is not interested in any more A380 superjumbos even though they are available cheaply, Spohr said.