Lufthansa Makes Boeing 747 Changes

Despite the 2025 summer season only just commencing, Lufthansa is already planning for the 2026 schedule with some changes.

Highlighted by aeroroutes.com scheduling, Lufthansa has confirmed some operational swaps slated to commence in time for the Northern summer of 2026, with the Boeing 747-400 at the heart of the adjustments.

Effective 29 March 2026, the Boeing 747-400 is expected to replace the high-capacity Airbus A340-600 between Frankfurt and Hong Kong for the Northern summer of 2026.

Meanwhile, Lufthansa will also swap out the A340-600 on service between Frankfurt and Shanghai Pu Dong effective 29 March 2026 for the 747-400. This service adjustment is on the LH728/729 service, which occurs thrice weekly.

Another A340-600 will be axed from the Frankfurt to Dammam route via Riyadh from 29 March 2026. However, the A330-300 will replace the quad-engined widebody instead of the 747, representing a significant capacity reduction.

Lufthansa’s Boeing 747 Retirement Plan

While early filings suggest that the Boeing 747-400 will begin replacing the A340-600 on specific routes across the northern summer 2026 schedule, these two aircraft aren’t expected to last long.

The German flag carrier has been hellbent on reducing the number of aircraft series in its operation, and thus, removing types such as the A340-600 and 747-400 have been at the forefront of the focus.

These aircraft have acted as workhorses across the international network and come equipped with a truckload of capacity. However, their efficiency no longer cuts it for Lufthansa, which is attempting to rebuild and turn around its financial position and customer satisfaction levels.

Reducing the number of fleet types will ensure a more streamlined approach to daily flying, a more efficient base, and a means of aligning with sustainability targets.

Despite these plans, Lufthansa’s fleet renewal process hasn’t been easy. Considerable delays in acquiring next-generation types have prevented the retirement of planes such as the 747 and A340.

The retainment of these wide bodies has been crucial for Lufthansa as attempts are made to mitigate capacity loss across key routes and thus valuable market share to competitors.

The Older Fleet Types

Lufthansa has a considerable fleet, with data indicating 313 planes, 273 active and 40 grounded, as of 7 April 2025.

However, the airline’s fleet average age is now 14.4 years. The addition of next-generation planes such as the 787 and A350 for its wide-body flying has helped considerably reduce that age.

However, there are still types such as the A340 and 747 that ultimately bring this age up with their older nature and now inefficiency over emerging types.

The airline is committed to 22 active Airbus A340s, with the A340-600s averaging 17.8 years of age and eight units remaining in service.

Meanwhile, 14 A340-300s are active, with those at 25.5 years among some of the oldest planes in the fleet.

Meanwhile, the airline’s 747-400s, with just six units active, sit at 25 years for their average age. Had renewal efforts gone smoother, these planes would likely have been axed by now in favour of more efficient twin-engine jets.