Lufthansa Group announced plans to retire six widebody aircraft types from service by 2028 as part of its long-term fleet modernization and harmonization efforts.
The move is designed to simplify operations, cut costs, and support the company’s sustainability goals, executives said at the airline group’s Capital Markets Day on Monday.
The aircraft types scheduled for phase-out are the Airbus A340-600, A330-200, A340-300, Boeing 767-300, Boeing 747-400, and Boeing 777-200. According to Lufthansa, these retirements will be completed by the end of 2028, with some types exiting earlier.
For example, the A340-600, A330-200, and 767-300 are targeted for removal by 2026, while the 747-400 and A340-300 will leave the fleet by 2027.
Currently, the airline group has 13 different passenger aircraft types.
By eliminating older widebody types, the company plans to reduce operational complexity across maintenance, crewing, and fleet reserves. Lufthansa executives emphasized that new aircraft deliveries will arrive in standardized specifications across the group’s airlines to improve efficiency further.
New Deliveries
The group will replace the outgoing jets with next-generation aircraft, including the Airbus A350-900 and A350-1000, Boeing 787-9, and 777X. These types are expected to comprise the backbone of the long-haul fleet by 2030, supplemented by the 747-8i and a smaller number of A330-300s and A330neos.
The A380 remains part of the future fleet plan, though its long-term role has yet to be finalized.
Overall, Lufthansa Group plans to take delivery of over 230 new aircraft by 2030, with widebody numbers increasing by about 20%.
