German Airbus A340 circles over Abu Dhabi

[LH-B744]

Well. First of all I am very happy that the German state secretary (dt.: Außenministerin) Annalena Baerbock has well arrived back in Germany (!) .

And I really didn't feel that it were necessary to open a completely new topic when somebody in Berlin begins a journey which is as I assume a little bit longer
than only Lohausen International (EDDL).

But I was sure that somebody during the past 14 years which I am here on this platform has used the words "poor serviceability" (dt.: armselige Strapazierfähigkeit) in context together
with the German Airforce.

And I am still sure that I back then had no answer for his question "Why is the serviceability so poor in the German Airforce?" . A few seconds ago, I used the jetphotos search engine
somewhere in the upper right corner, but without result. Sadly that very interesting "A340 Argentina" discussion has vanished, probably too long ago.

And today I am the poor guy or better the only guy here on this platform who likes to discuss it again?

Give me a try, and I promise, I'll try to be as gentle as I can, also because between Berlin and Kiev, there are enough aviation problems which both cities try to solve...

Back on topic:
«Wir haben bis zuletzt geprüft und geplant, aber leider war es nicht mehr möglich, die geplanten Reisestationen der Indo-Pazifik-Reise nach dem Ausfall des Flugzeugs der Flugbereitschaft mit den noch verfügbaren Optionen logistisch darzustellen», quotation of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs (dt.: Außenministerium), verified by ZDF (television) and Die Zeit (newspaper).

In English, partly translated by me.
"At last and until the very last possible moment in time, we tried to find options and we tried to bring the flight planning to an end,
but with the severe technical failure of that aircraft of the German Flugbereitschaft,
we were no longer able to continue the journey to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji."

One rather harmless question must be allowed.

I know that my avatar is not able to fly to Australia nonstop. And I know that Lufthansa is not really able to help, with flight planning and flight routes to Australia.
As Lufthansa simply does not fly to Australia.
And I know how long it would take me, and who am I, probably only - together with Randazzos products - a rather engaged flight simulator enthusiast and aviation enthusiast,
to find a good flight route to Australia, with at least one (technically necessary) stop to refuel the B747 or A340.

After all that, is it clever to continue the flight planning until the very last possible moment in time, without a plan B?

PS: I've heard that one possible option indeed must've been to ask Lufthansa so that the journey could've been continued. If you ask me and my avatar, I had loved that idea.
But there are at least 2 problems: 1. all LH-B744s who I know today are in the air and (probably almost fully) booked with passengers elsewhere.
2. Australia is the one and only continent on planet earth where Lufthansa is not in the air (!).

[LH-B744]

Die Flugbereitschaft fliege vergleichsweise wenig - das schade den Flugzeugen, so Luftfahrtexperte Andreas Spaeth. In anderen Ländern stünden außerdem Ersatzmaschinen bereit.

Again, verified by ZDF (television), August 15 2023 .

Is it necessary to translate again?

"The German Flugbereitschaft BmVg has comparably not so many flight hours with the two German BmVg Airbus A340
- and that is harmful for these complex jet aircraft. [...]"

I don't know if Mr Spaeth is a jetphotos member. But I fully and completely second what he says.

Until Tuesday evening, I thought I should hold back most of my laughter, and the most of my not so very polite thoughts.. But now Mr Spaeth encourages me.

Some of my thoughts were, that no one after the pestilence (so not, since probably 2018?) has ever cared about the technical state of these two German A340:
1. Old oil, of 2018 or before.
2. Rusty flaps (?!), and even with comparable "not so many flight hours", nobody has flown a test flight (?!),
before the order "Australia" was tried to follow.
3. Bad front gear or bad main gear at least on one of these German A340 ("Standplatte Reifen")
4. There is not only one, but there are or better there have been two German BmVg A340. Thus, the second A340 is in even worse shape, I assume.

5. There are ways to maintain the airworthiness of classic jet a/c types like B744 and A343. The word is: MAINTENANCE (dt.: Instandsetzung und Maschinenpflege),
which obviously on my avatar happens alot more often than on the two BmvG A340 (?!) ...

Now, I don't know what Mr Spaeth has in his mind when he says comparable not so many flight hours.

But I'd guess, he compares with a fleet of currently 17 LH-A343 ...

PS: I know that Lufthansa even during the pestilence tried to regularly take each of the today 8 LH-B744 jets in the fleet out of their "pestilence parking positions",
to avoid rusty flaps, to avoid turbine damage on the four turbines due to dust, rust, old oil or simply missing flight hours.
All that happened during flights without passengers, to only keep the 747s up and running.

And if you ask me, this procedure is a success, for all eight LH-B744s .

Sometimes I really wish that people ask the Lufthansa. But I fear for the two BmvG A340, it's too late!