Lufthansa To Ground More Of Its Aircraft

Lufthansa is set to take more of its short- to medium-haul aircraft out of service from 2027, resulting in further groundings and deeper cuts to its operations across Europe.

The airline believes these cuts are the only way that its loss-making European flights, which have been dragging down the Group, can cease and improve the bottom line.

The struggles have been so profound that, despite turnaround efforts, the German flag carrier has had to make harsher decisions to stem the bleeding as the latter stage of the decade approaches.

A New Round Of Fleet Cuts

CEO Carsten Spohr said that Lufthansa will look to take up to 15, possibly 20, more short- to medium-haul jets out of service next year. These planned changes are in addition to the existing models that were not available for the current summer schedule, as 20,000 flights were cancelled.

Flagged by Süddeutsche Zeitung, the goal is to stem the bleeding across its European operations, where the remaining profitable routes have been outweighed by the markets that have been losing money. This is a structural problem impacting not just the airline but the Group.

The reductions are on top of other restructuring programs being implemented, not just centred on aircraft, but part of the same bid to restore the business to where it belongs: profitable and sustainable.

Aircraft groundings are a common means for airlines to navigate turbulent periods; however, for a flag carrier as esteemed as Lufthansa, it’s a startling reminder of the position it finds itself in and the dramatic measures it must take to stabilise and survive.

The groundings from 2027 are framed as temporary to alleviate pressure. Sphor hasn’t been afraid to state that if costs still cannot be brought down, the future of Lufthansa may change for good, with a slimmed-down short-haul offering and these operations transitioned to subsidiaries.

Aircraft Parkings At Lufthansa Ongoing

Lufthansa, despite its commitment to park more jets in 2027, has already this year been pushing ahead with this plan, even retiring some of the larger, more fuel-hungry models amid rising fuel prices and volatility in the operating environment.

The immediate closure of Lufthansa CityLine, one year earlier than intended, was a stark reminder of the position the business finds itself in. The closure immediately halted the operation of multiple planes, including the CRJ900 regional jet, with reports suggesting they could be sold if there’s still value.

In parallel with the regional cuts, Lufthansa is also accelerating the phase-out of some of its older long-haul types, including the withdrawal of the remaining A340-600s at the end of the 2026 summer season and the grounding of Boeing 747-400s to retire these by 2027.

The finalization of their existence, alongside the closure of Lufthansa CityLine and the grounding of aircraft, is part of the business’s efforts to reduce day-to-day operating costs.

The new models, which will be parked from 2027, will involve mostly short- to medium-haul aircraft within the core Lufthansa brand, with a shrinking short-haul presence to enable expansion at Eurowings, Discover, and even City Airlines.

For passengers, this means there will be fewer Lufthansa-branded flights across European routes and more services operated on behalf of Lufthansa Group carriers. This is for good reason, as cost pressures and the company’s unprofitability are forcing changes, and even labour contracts have added new pressure.